decompression
I often throw this word around when I talk about eliminating stress from my life. This is not to be confused with “blowing off steam” – that’s an energy burner (a long walk downtown, yoga, the hilariousness of me participating in zumba or even cleaning the house). The concept of decompression, at least in my world, is one where I remove all elements of stress, thought and worry from my existence (if only for an hour). It’s a spectacular skill that I’ve picked up over the years, probably some sort of defense mechanism that a psychologist would have a field day with, and I’m actively employing it from here forward with some regularity.
Even if you’re not particularly stressed, it’s a great way to just hit the reset button and enter a void where nothing else exists except for you and whatever you choose to do. But this is important, DON’T THINK ABOUT ANYTHING AT ALL while you’re doing it. This is imperative. Your subconscious has enough to do while you sleep, so this is more of an exercise in shutting out all outside factors and simply being.
Before you wonder why I’m getting all New Age-y on you (and believe me, you’re going to wonder in a couple of sentences from now) this is simply a tactic that I employ to get out of my own head and give my mind and body and total rest to reboot. Mine goes a little something like this:
Open bottle of wine. Pour out a full glass. Draw a steaming hot bubble bath. Set out candles (very girly, I know). Open the blinds, turn off all the lights (throw open the window for fresh air when weather permits). Find a totally relaxing CD or digital playlist that lasts at least 45 minutes (David Gray’s New Day at Midnight is a favorite; as are Rufus Wainwright, Rachael Yamagata, Rob Dickinson acoustic, Rogue Wave or The Shins, you get the idea). Crank up the stereo, settle into the bath, drink the wine. VERY IMPORTANT: close your eyes and actively let all your thoughts go bye-bye. I like to employ the four elements while I’m doing this: fire (candles), water (duh), earth (wine; what? it’s earthy), and air (important not to feel stagnant or cooped up during this exercise).
Under no circumstances am I allowed to remove myself from this decompression before the CD or music has finished. It’s too easy to let your thoughts drag you back out of a zen state. It takes awhile to really let go, and to be sure you’re maximizing the void, I find that 45 minutes to an hour is the perfect amount of time. Why am I telling you this? I have no idea. But it’s something that works for me, and I’m feeling the pressure this week. So I’m already looking forward to putting my decompression above all else at the end of the week.
It’s all part of a master plan. The one where I take better care of myself and really allow myself to be in the moment, and to find the joy in the still, quiet minutes. Focus on just being, instead of constantly doing. Yep, told you I’d get all New Age-y on you. Namaste
Even if you’re not particularly stressed, it’s a great way to just hit the reset button and enter a void where nothing else exists except for you and whatever you choose to do. But this is important, DON’T THINK ABOUT ANYTHING AT ALL while you’re doing it. This is imperative. Your subconscious has enough to do while you sleep, so this is more of an exercise in shutting out all outside factors and simply being.
Before you wonder why I’m getting all New Age-y on you (and believe me, you’re going to wonder in a couple of sentences from now) this is simply a tactic that I employ to get out of my own head and give my mind and body and total rest to reboot. Mine goes a little something like this:
Open bottle of wine. Pour out a full glass. Draw a steaming hot bubble bath. Set out candles (very girly, I know). Open the blinds, turn off all the lights (throw open the window for fresh air when weather permits). Find a totally relaxing CD or digital playlist that lasts at least 45 minutes (David Gray’s New Day at Midnight is a favorite; as are Rufus Wainwright, Rachael Yamagata, Rob Dickinson acoustic, Rogue Wave or The Shins, you get the idea). Crank up the stereo, settle into the bath, drink the wine. VERY IMPORTANT: close your eyes and actively let all your thoughts go bye-bye. I like to employ the four elements while I’m doing this: fire (candles), water (duh), earth (wine; what? it’s earthy), and air (important not to feel stagnant or cooped up during this exercise).
Under no circumstances am I allowed to remove myself from this decompression before the CD or music has finished. It’s too easy to let your thoughts drag you back out of a zen state. It takes awhile to really let go, and to be sure you’re maximizing the void, I find that 45 minutes to an hour is the perfect amount of time. Why am I telling you this? I have no idea. But it’s something that works for me, and I’m feeling the pressure this week. So I’m already looking forward to putting my decompression above all else at the end of the week.
It’s all part of a master plan. The one where I take better care of myself and really allow myself to be in the moment, and to find the joy in the still, quiet minutes. Focus on just being, instead of constantly doing. Yep, told you I’d get all New Age-y on you. Namaste
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