When was the last time you simply did nothing for two minutes except breathe? Unless you regularly do yoga or meditate, it may have been awhile.
I found this cool site a couple of weeks ago on Huffington Post and I love it. I know a few of you will think there's a catch to this website, but I haven't found it yet. The entire purpose of the site is to encourage relaxation. I make myself go there a couple of times a day and just listen to the sounds of the ocean. Sometimes I almost get convinced that I'm sitting on the beach at Watervale.
Try it. You'll love it. If you can make it through two minutes of doing nothing.
Click on the picture and you'll be taken to the website.
Showing posts with label relaxation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label relaxation. Show all posts
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Do You Meditate?
I do. And I love it. I always feel much calmer, more focused and I sleep better when I meditate.
The first time I meditated was in college with my friend Kirsten. I remember thinking the whole experience was kind of hokey. Sitting in a room with our eyes closed while listening to "weird" music silently for an hour with the goal of "clearing our heads" and not thinking. Hmmmmm. Okay. As you can imagine, this Type A Personality didn't do too well and I never went back.
Years later, I discovered a friend of mine was a certified hypnotherapist. She invited me to join a group she was starting of other Type A women for a once-a-week 1 hour guided hypnosis or meditation. To say I was skeptical was an understatement. At the end of the first session, we talked about our experiences and each of the other women talked about what they saw while they were in some hot air balloon, but I had no idea what they were talking about. So I talked about what I remembered and could recall a certain amount of the session, but suddenly my experience took a turn and rather than being in a hot air balloon, I was off on some other journey. Each week, my experience was vastly different from that of the groups' experiences.
A few weeks later, I had an experience in our session that would change the way I looked at guided hypnosis/meditation forever. As we were discussing our experiences, as we did each week after the hypnosis/meditation I was surprised to learn that the hypnotherapist hadn't taken us all down a road where we were to recall a tragedy and taught us to overcome it because in my hypnotized/meditative state, I relived a truly horrific and terrifying experience I'd had about 15 years earlier, fought back harder than I did at the time and actually changed the outcome. It was amazing and liberating. My skepticism was gone. I was sold.
Now I do self-hypnosis and meditate on my own a few times each week. I find it incredibly relaxing and a terrific way to help me release stress. Often I do it at night, but I also have some that I use in the mornings. Self-hypnosis/meditation has changed my life.
My friend Cindee posted the relaxing meditation below on Facebook today. It's a little different from the ones I use in that you should actually watch the video rather than focus on breathing and have your eyes closed, but I was surprised at just how effective it was nonetheless. I encourage you to take the next 9 minutes to watch this video. Turn off your phone, close your email, close the door so your kids can't walk in, turn off Pandora and just focus on you for the next 9 minutes. Trust me, your day will be better.
The first time I meditated was in college with my friend Kirsten. I remember thinking the whole experience was kind of hokey. Sitting in a room with our eyes closed while listening to "weird" music silently for an hour with the goal of "clearing our heads" and not thinking. Hmmmmm. Okay. As you can imagine, this Type A Personality didn't do too well and I never went back.
Years later, I discovered a friend of mine was a certified hypnotherapist. She invited me to join a group she was starting of other Type A women for a once-a-week 1 hour guided hypnosis or meditation. To say I was skeptical was an understatement. At the end of the first session, we talked about our experiences and each of the other women talked about what they saw while they were in some hot air balloon, but I had no idea what they were talking about. So I talked about what I remembered and could recall a certain amount of the session, but suddenly my experience took a turn and rather than being in a hot air balloon, I was off on some other journey. Each week, my experience was vastly different from that of the groups' experiences.
A few weeks later, I had an experience in our session that would change the way I looked at guided hypnosis/meditation forever. As we were discussing our experiences, as we did each week after the hypnosis/meditation I was surprised to learn that the hypnotherapist hadn't taken us all down a road where we were to recall a tragedy and taught us to overcome it because in my hypnotized/meditative state, I relived a truly horrific and terrifying experience I'd had about 15 years earlier, fought back harder than I did at the time and actually changed the outcome. It was amazing and liberating. My skepticism was gone. I was sold.
Now I do self-hypnosis and meditate on my own a few times each week. I find it incredibly relaxing and a terrific way to help me release stress. Often I do it at night, but I also have some that I use in the mornings. Self-hypnosis/meditation has changed my life.
My friend Cindee posted the relaxing meditation below on Facebook today. It's a little different from the ones I use in that you should actually watch the video rather than focus on breathing and have your eyes closed, but I was surprised at just how effective it was nonetheless. I encourage you to take the next 9 minutes to watch this video. Turn off your phone, close your email, close the door so your kids can't walk in, turn off Pandora and just focus on you for the next 9 minutes. Trust me, your day will be better.
Friday, April 2, 2010
Finding Joy
Yesterday on Facebook, I promised that I would blog last night about the Chicago Flower & Garden Show I attended last month. I didn't do it and I'm sorry. But you see, I'm a little pre-occupied finding joy. That's not to say that writing about the wonderful time I had wouldn't have been joyful because it would have been and the pictures are outstanding, but for the next few days, my blogging time is very limited.
At the moment, I'm watching the tree branches sway in the breeze, enjoying a cloud-free sky unencumbered by buildings or cell phone antennas, deeply breathing the pollution-free air, listening to the gentle lap of the water on the lake and getting ready to go put my toes in the sand, again. Last night, I saw an incredible sunset around 8:30 after an impromptu cocktail party with dear friends and fell asleep before 10:30. I slept soundly for 8 hours and then woke this morning without an alarm excited for today's adventures.
So pardon me if I'm not blogging much for the next few days. I'll get back to it. I have many stories to share. Right now though, I just have to find my joy.
What are you doing to find your joy?
At the moment, I'm watching the tree branches sway in the breeze, enjoying a cloud-free sky unencumbered by buildings or cell phone antennas, deeply breathing the pollution-free air, listening to the gentle lap of the water on the lake and getting ready to go put my toes in the sand, again. Last night, I saw an incredible sunset around 8:30 after an impromptu cocktail party with dear friends and fell asleep before 10:30. I slept soundly for 8 hours and then woke this morning without an alarm excited for today's adventures.
So pardon me if I'm not blogging much for the next few days. I'll get back to it. I have many stories to share. Right now though, I just have to find my joy.
What are you doing to find your joy?
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
My Love Affair With Michigan
It's no secret that I love Michigan. Well, possibly not all of Michigan, but certainly the northwest corner of the state that includes the Traverse City area. Most specifically, I love Watervale. In fact, I'm counting down the days until I get to sit on the beach and do nothing except count the grains of sand during the day and the stars at night.
Normally, when I watch TV, commercials annoy me. I don't have TiVO or a DVR, so I don't have the option of skipping them. However, when the "Pure Michigan" ads come on, I always stop what I'm doing and watch, longing for the days when I experience my own version of Pure Michigan.
I've collected my favorite Pure Michigan ads for you to enjoy.
Lost & Found
Pure Michigan Backyard
The Potential of Water
A Simple Sunrise
Trailhead
Normally, when I watch TV, commercials annoy me. I don't have TiVO or a DVR, so I don't have the option of skipping them. However, when the "Pure Michigan" ads come on, I always stop what I'm doing and watch, longing for the days when I experience my own version of Pure Michigan.
I've collected my favorite Pure Michigan ads for you to enjoy.
Lost & Found
Pure Michigan Backyard
The Potential of Water
A Simple Sunrise
Trailhead
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)