time to relax

sunrise:  5:55

In Mary's exercise studio she has posted quotations all over the walls.  You don't always have time to read them, since you're focusing on making your body do things it doesn't necessarily want to do, but there are a lot of great ones.  Many could become the subject of blog reflections - or anyone's daily reflection for that matter.

Here is a good collection:

General Mind-Body Concepts

1.  Somatics 101 -- Be Still.  Be quiet.  Be present.

2.  Relaxation -- Anything you do can be done better if you are relaxed.

3.  Effortless Effort -- Try your best, but avoid trying too hard.

4.  Sensory Awareness -- The key to all Mind-Body methods.
5.  Responsibility -- What you make of your life is truly up to you.

I am particularly drawn to number two.  The art of relaxation is a lifetime of practice worth pursuing.  It is true -piano, tennis, swimming, driving, writing, exercise, social interactions, sleeping - all work better when I am able to relax.  It's just a question of getting there.  Tension is insidious - it just creeps right back into you the second you stop paying attention.

There was a story on NPR last week about a woman, Siri Hustvedt, with a rare neurologic problem. She wrote a book about it called The Shaking Woman, or a History of my Nerves.   She experienced a sudden onset of chronic shaking and stress, and intense pain from migraines.  Many efforts by medical professionals failed until one day she tried something called biofeedback.  An instant feedback machine let's you know how tense or relaxed you are.  It took the author 8 months to learn how to lower her stress levels, but it finally worked and helped.

We should all try to be our own biofeedback machines - recognize our tensions and take a deep breath, relax the shoulders, unclench the jaw, let the muscles in our legs and hands and feet settle down to rest.  (you're doing it, right?  I've tried three times just on this paragraph!)  

It really does make everything better.

*********************

birds today -- Yes, I agree with consensus.  It must be a titmouse.  

and the birds from the hollow tree limb were out and singing to me today.  I watched one chirp in the opening, ponder the day, and flit out onto a limb.  Beautiful, varied collection of songs, chirps, purrs, and clicks.