Summer Relaxation

"Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under the trees on a summer's day, listening to the murmur of water, or watching the clouds float across the blue sky, is by no means waste of time." ~John Lubbock, "Recreation," The Use of Life, 1894

How do you love to relax?  Do you find the time to relax, or is there always something calling your attention away from the very important activity of doing nothing?

If you read this newsletter with any regularity (and thank you if you do!), you know that I can't say enough about the benefits of daily relaxation.  Summer is the time of year when we're often most able to give ourselves permission to relax.  Yet sometimes the ways we choose to relax can be fraught with hidden stressors.  Driving on the highway to get up north away from it all, taking the kids or grandkids on rollercoaster rides, long lineups for - well, long lineups for just about anything.  The other day I passed by a lineup to an ice cream parlour that was at least half an hour long.  I guess the people in line were working up an appetite!

The ancient yogis understood the importance of deep relaxation, and thankfully, modern science is catching up in this understanding.  Yoga Nidra, "yogic sleep," is an ancient practice that develops the ability to deeply relax while remaining aware.  Among its many benefits are the reduction of  tension, anxiety, blood pressure and pain.

Simply taking 10 minutes a day to relax (which may or may not be so simple!) will do wonders for your energy levels.  Relaxing is now part of my regular daily routine (I teach yoga for a living, which sounds pretty stress-free, but believe me, it’s not always!).  As with anything, the more you practise, the better you get at it.  So when you really need to take 10 deep breaths because the dog has chewed your best pair of shoes yet again, you can do it!  And perhaps even find the humour in the situation…the dog appreciates fine leather, after all.