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Friday 25 October 2013

Relax, refresh... and find equilibrium.

'How do you relax?' is a question I'm often asked. 'After all, you can't do reflexology on yourself!'
Actually, yes I can - and I do. I am reasonably flexible, so I can cross one leg over the other and reach my soles. Reflexology is brilliant for refreshing one's sole - and other parts too!

However, it's not the only way I relax. I paint in watercolour,  write fiction and also meditate. All three take me away from the stresses of this world, which yes, of course, I encounter. These practices help me deal with them.


Meditation teaches me to take a step back, to watch my own thoughts and realise that they are indeed just that, thoughts. Be they good or bad, they will pass -  and thoughts do not define the real me. By taking a step back, I do get to see the wood for the trees - and that helps me to plan a strategy for coping with life's little surprises. Finding a way through the wood, past the trees, if you will.
Is there a way through? You betcha!


Painting allows me to create a world of my own.  I like to paint things which attract me, they are usually things that make me smile, and some are filled with light.
Delicious! I can taste it all over again.
Crystal glass, so enchanting. Chocolate and fruit too. It's all good!

In my fiction, again I create a world. It has twists and turns and the odd 'misguided' character; but on the whole, my world faces the sun, being bathed in light.

My own created world.


However, in all these things that I love, you'll notice that there is no balance. Everything I love is sedentary. Back in May, I wrote about finding the balance. So now there is activity. I walk my dog, and now that she is older and not able to do the long walks, I speed walk a minimum of a mile a day. (That's fast walking to me, not the type where you throw your hips out and walk heel to toe.) It is surprising how well that clears the cobwebs from your mind, especially when you do not allow any one type of thought sway. I've stopped and seen some beauty in my surroundings while this was happening.

You walk, I'll snooze!

Just waiting for me to discover

These are my way of relaxing, refreshing and restoring my own equilibrium. They are not the only way. You'll find ones specific to you. I'd love to hear all about them! 


Time - or more correctly, lack of time - is the reason I hear for most people not doing similar. The accountant in me says audit your time. Write down what you want to do, where your time goes and see where you can find the time to relax and refresh. Most of all, find the balance. Otherwise you may find yourself visiting me in a professional capacity. Which is quite a journey, for some of you!
That brings me to my last point: laughter. Humour. It neutralises a lot of angst. Make use of that fact. Laugh frequently.

Laugh. Got it!


14 comments:

  1. A very relaxing post, Pat, it made me think and it made me smile!

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    1. Thank you, Judy. If I've done both, then it was a worthwhile post :) xx

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  2. Hello Pat:) A day not laughing is a wasted day! Your paintings made me hungry and smiling.Painting is the drug for me to relax! Have a nice day:)xx

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    1. I agree, laughing is important :) . Painting has the same effect on me too :) xx

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  3. I never thought of being in balance much, but you are right. I need that in my life. Thanks for sharing this and getting me to think of some things I can change to get balance in my life.

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    1. You're welcome, Betty. I'm glad you found it useful xx

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  4. Good post! Always nice Missy's smile; I love the delices in second and third images! Arianna

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    1. Thanks, Arianna. Missy has the most wonderful smile. Glad you like the paintings :)

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  5. Pat - wonderful post. I loved yours words about thoughts. If only we can step back and realize they are just a thought and we can choose whether we pursue them or not. Your art, writing and reflexology all work so well together my friend. I hope you have a beautiful balanced day.

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    1. Thanks, Debbie - so pleased you enjoyed the post and the concepts within. We can decide to pursue thoughts or not, writers and painters make those decisions almost subconsciously. Hope you have a great weekend. xx

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  6. Laughter truly is the best medicine! :D

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    1. Absolutely, Robin! Here's to laughter :) xx

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  7. Thanks for writing this, Pat, this was exactly what I meant! :) I like the idea of thoughts just being thoughts and not the real me. I've always seen the thoughts in my head as being precisely the real me (hence why I think I'm a horrible person as I have lots of horrible thoughts!) because if they're not 'me' where do they come from? :)
    Balance is essential. I did the Seven Habits of Highly Effective People course at a company I worked for and it really made me understand the importance of balance. Ironic, as the company paying for the course believed in a work-work balance and I resigned not long after the course.

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    1. They can't be the real you, Amanda. Are the plot lines you follow the real you in every book? Of course not! It's a little like an athlete flexing a muscle, you are flexing your mind and imagination. You choose which thought and plot to follow and then you make up some 'what if's Those thoughts and plots don't define the real you, or else no-one would ever write fiction!
      Yes, employers sometimes have a skewed view of balance - mine used to think week for work, weekend for family was a good balance. The hours were long and increasingly joyless, hence the job swap.

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