We all unwind in our own
ways and those ways can differ depending on the stress or challenges we’ve been
facing. A few weeks ago I realized I needed a break when I knew I’d just
committed to something in a conversation with my boss, but had no recollection
of what it was. That evening I forced myself to do some online research. Two days
later I booked a getaway and just returned from a retreat on walking and
wellness with some welcome warmth thrown in since it was in Florida.
As we did tai chi or
breathing exercises we were encouraged to be in the moment and try to ignore
all the static going on in our brain. Our assignment for one nature walk was to
see 5 things, hear 4 things, smell 3 things, touch 2 things and find something
to taste. In our discussions on romantic walkers like Beethoven and Thoreau,
and Victorian norm-breaking pilgrims like George Sand and Alexandra David-Neal,
we explored threads that can connect and inspire us all. Learning about the
history of the labyrinth and then completing a couple of meditative labyrinth
walks was meaningful.
In this day of
multitasking, despite all the studies that show is not effective, it takes
discipline to concentrate on something as simple as inhaling and exhaling. It
took discipline for me to sit down and find a program that fit what I needed
and to then follow through. It takes discipline to remember to build self-care
into our busy lives. It also takes discipline to discover what relaxation
discipline works best for us. I hope to continue a few of the techniques I
learned last week and encourage you to build in some unwinding time every day
this week. May we have the discipline to unwind!
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