Unit 2 Assignment

Ok. I am suppose to post about my response to the Journey on relaxation. I am probably the only person who thinks it was totally cheesy and felt like a Saturday Night Live skit. It was not relaxing for me at all, I actually couldn't wait for it to be over. If I need to relax it has to be active relaxation- a walk, deep breathing, visualizing energy centers, napping, reading, etc. Sitting in a chair listening to someone with an SNL voice was more annoying than anything else. For me, conscious deep breathing is a very effective relaxation tool. So many of us forget to breathe. I mean really breathe. I often sit on the floor or ground cross-legged with my hands on my knees and my back straight and breathe as deeply and slowly as I can. I close my eyes and pay attention to the sound, depth, and rhythm of my breath. Then I visualize pulling energy from the ground up through my spine to ground me for the day. I may do this for 5 minutes or 30 depending on the day. This is very relaxing for me and helps fully oxygenate my body and open my energy centers. Sorry Journey guy, you just didn't do it for me.

Wisdom in My Iced Tea

So I found this quote in the lid of my Iced Tea bottle today. I found it ironic given my post yesterday. "Stop living life for what's arround the corner and start enjoying the walk down the street". Grant L. Miller

The Journey

I can feel a shift in the mountain air that means that Spring is just around the corner (it takes a little while longer to get here in the mountains). I love the Spring it's a time of rebirth and renewal. I feel this same shift in myself, a stirring and restlessness that my gypsy spirit gets from time to time. It usually means a big change of some kind, I just don't know what it is yet. Sometimes it's just time to create a new piece of art, sometimes it's a move across the country, sometimes it's just another layer of old skin being shed-we will have to see how it plays out. Spring and my restlessness are always so full of possibilities.

So, here is what has been on my mind this week. It seems like we are always chasing happiness and perfection. I think both are such a waste of time. Life is gloriously messy, we need to stop being such control freaks and let the path unfold before us. We miss so much of the good stuff when we focus on the things we think we can control. The truth is we can't control anything but our response to whatever the universe brings our way. Rather than happiness and perfection, I am much more interested in the journey of contentment and wholeness. Not the pursuit of it, but the delicious journey of getting there. The journey is what our time on this planet is all about.

Slow down, breathe and enjoy the journey. Stop and smell the tulips.