Posts Tagged ‘stress relief’

Bathtub Reflections

Friday, November 26th, 2010

I’ve been spending a lot of time in the tub (see Detox Bath Review www.modernsage.com) and with that comes relaxitation: meditation in the tub. As I was finishing a bath recently and watching the water drain, I began thinking about drains in general. Sink drains, tub drains, physical drains, emotional drains.
We think that small negative ‘things’ in our lives don’t affect the whole. We try to isolate a stressor and believe that it’s not wreaking havoc on our other affairs. But, think of the drain. What happens in the sink when a small bean clogs one of the drain holes? The water still goes down, but at a slower pace. Think of that drain with several food particles from the dinner plate, covering a many holes. A much slower drain, indeed. Even tiny hairs in the sink can quickly cause a complete clog. Meet plunger, your new assistant.
Imagine that those food particles or hair strands represent negative stressors in your life.
In a healthy state of mind, we want life to be less cumbersome. We seek happiness, love, positive movement and a continuous gentle flow. Life thrives in these environments. To think that one negative factor (be it a person, habit, debt, burdensome weight or addiction) is not causing your entire life to be more difficult (less thriving) is false thinking. No matter what is clogging your drain, be it small or large, your life is being held back from the movement it is trying to make.
Maybe it’s time to start clearing out some blockages in your life, to remove the beans and pull out the gnarly hairs so that your life-force can flow freely.
Enjoy your holiday. Give thanks for all that is brilliantly *alive* in your life and consider how much time you are spending plunging the same issues that are holding you back.
(I highly suggest tub relaxitation for further discoveries.)

Keep Your Eye on the Ball

Wednesday, December 2nd, 2009

I’ll never forget these words. My dad used to yell them at me during my whole softball career.  I was a decent hitter, but you couldn’t always count on it. I WANTED to get a hit, but being a teen, I was too busy thinking about what my hair looked like coming out of that helmet. Was my butt sticking out too far? Who was watching? With a wandering mind, the ball often came and went without contact or went flying too high with an easy drop into the opponent’s glove. “Keep your eye on the ball, Leah” I heard my dad say. I now find myself saying these same words as I focus on what I WANT out of life in general.

What do you want? Better yet, what is distracting you from GETTING what you want? Is your eye on the ball? It’s so easy these days to have A.D.D. All of the activities and gadgets, it’s a wonder we get anything of value accomplished! When you want something – be it weight loss, a dream, a better relationship or a hit out of the ballpark, you gotta keep your eye on the ball. No exceptions. If you think you may suffer from genuine A.D.D. or just have an awful time focusing your attention, there are great remedies that can help you tremendously. DHA and other Omega 3 fatty acids are excellent brain foods that have been proven to help concentration, clarity and calmness. Gingko will get that blood flowing, and if you suffer from an anxious mind. Personally,  I use L-Theanine for calm, focused thinking. Meditating for even 5 min/day can calm the mind and help you to focus & Biofeedback is another great technique you might want to check out to keep your mind’s eye on target. Balance your brain and your body with nature’s help. Whatever you are going for, do it with a focused mind.  Keep your eye on the ball and give it your best swing!