JOT Week 4 - Relax

[Metaphysical Me]

Ooh, another week over, already!

I just went to check the topic for this week and, oh boy, does the topic "relax" come at the right time, for me!

Gawd, I wish I could start right now, but I've got a work assignment to finish by tomorrow, so not much chance...

Hope y'all are doing lots of relaxation!

XXX

[Metaphysical Me]

Hmm - so here's my first mindful realisation on this - I usually think that "I can relax when there is no stress" but it's probably more true to say "Especially when things are stressful, it's *necessary* to relax".

So, I should learn to relax especially in those situations that I *think* don't lend themselves to relaxation at all...

[FeeHutch]

I think you are spot on there and waiting to relax was one of the things that probably contributed to how ill I became a couple of years ago.

I've been to hospital with my daughter this morning and had some unexpected news. It is nothing terrible but she may need a small op in the future. I need to relax both physically and mentally now especially as this comes on top of a surprise diagnosis I had myself on Friday night.

[Metaphysical Me]

Oh Fee - I'm sorry to hear it - I know how crap surprise diagnoses are!

I hope you get some good relaxation in - I'm finding week 2's exercise of "taking in the good" so helpful for the subsequent weeks - today I've been "taking in moments of relaxation" like I am / my body is "bread soaking up syrup" (I gather that was one of Rick Hanson's metaphors in the Week 2 text...

I find that that helps so much - if I just try "relaxing" without that "soaking up syrup" thing, I find it just doesn't really do much - doesn't sink in very deep at all...

Much peace to you right now!

XXX Janey

[Steve]

I'm looking forward to this week - relaxing!

The first challenge is to notice when I'm tense or anxious - being aware of the messages my body is sending me (very much mindfulness). Also being aware that whenever I'm not relaxed its nearly always due to worrying about some future event. Getting back to the present moment is a good way of countering this. In many cases, the worst thing about an event is worrying about it beforehand rather than the event (dentist etc) itself so we should be mindful of this and aware that we can choose whether to worry or not, learning to let go and just experience the present moment.

Having noticed that I'm tense/anxious etc, the next step is to try) to relax. Everyone has different ways of doing this but I thought I'd offer a few that work for me (some of these are taken from the weekly exercises from the How to Train an Elephant book, others are just what happens to work for me:

Having a hot bath, going for a walk, sitting down for a cup of coffee or tea, going down the pub for a pint, having a sauna, taking deep breaths, sex (without a cigarette afterwards!), keeping my hands still (so the body and then the mind follow), having a massage, mini meditations, reading a book, doing just one thing at a time well, listening to relaxing music, being au naturel, using waiting time as an opportunity for calm and peace, silence, hugging a tree, stop rushing - doing things slowly, sitting in a cafe watching the world go by......and there must be many, many more!

Have a relaxing week!

Steve

[FeeHutch]

Thank you Me!
It came in useful today when I was in hospital and they sprung a surprise (and pretty painful) procedure on me. I took deep breathes before, during and after and I have continued to since I got home as I have had a huge pain flare up join the party.

Tomorrow they are checking my blood pressure yet again so as usual I will be employing mindful breathing there too. I am just hoping to get the opportunity to also practice relaxing when I am already feeling positive and peaceful this week!

[Metaphysical Me]

Hi Fee - ooh, I hate painful medical procedures! I hope you have equanimity and strength to deal well with them - I know I can be a total wimp and sissy with that kind of stuff!

I'm trying to relax right now, despite work, paperwork and housework piling up at the moment...

My Woody-Allen-neurotic side can't bear having so much work undone, but I'm trying to get some much needed relaxation in anyway.

I *feel* like I should be working relentlessly to try and get all of the stuff that's piled up done, but I *know* that that doesn't work - I'd just end up getting totally exhausted and frustrated.

I'm trying to tell myself that just as the work piled up over the last couple of weeks (due to external circumstances), so it will slowly decrease again over the next few weeks, if I just stay calm and do a little every day...

This difficulty in "allowing myself to relax" (i.e. giving myself permission) is something I've always had trouble with - so this week's JOT task is a good opportunity to practise this!

Hope y'all are relaxing well!

XXX

[Lynn4MK]

Sorry for disappearing for a while. I was derailed by an unexpected canine addition to our household and overwhelm at work. I really could have used some self-compassion and relaxation, but I confess that I hardly thought about JOT. Now that things are settling down a little bit, I will try to get caught up on the reading. I have kept up with morning meditation and writing my morning pages for The Artist's Way, but that is about it. I do want to continue with the book.

[Metaphysical Me]

Hey Lynn - no problem - what counts is that you come back to the practice - getting distracted by life happens to us all!

Good to have you back on board