Perfect Poise, Perfect Life
Bring your body into balance and revolutionise your life
By Noel Kingsley
Publisher Hodder Mobius
AVAILABLE HERE
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Where's your sanctuary?
Another aspect of PSC (Positive Self Care), is ensuring that we can escape frequently enough from the humdrum of life. Although jumping out of the window may at times have its appeal, it's not to be recommended, at least not on a regular basis. (It just takes too long to heal and recover!) Put a parachute on, and it's far more fun. But knowing when to switch off and find a complete divergence is one of the most sanity-restoring things one can do. It helps us be more productive, alert, energetic and healthy. It can help us do our job better.
So where do you go or what do you do when you want to escape? Is it into your head, or to the great outdoors? Do you talk to the parrot, sky-dive, go to the knitting cafe and stitch up an arty sweater, do Yoga meditation, go shopping for more shoes, or potter in the garden? For my partner, it's reading fiction that takes her more places than I can ever imagine, while a good friend of mine goes flying. But on the other hand it's also good to natter with friends over coffee or down the pub. Do you do horses, fishing, kiting, model railway building, gardening, Tai Chi, painting china, or walking hills?
For me, I have a choice of wickedly indulgent activities and I wish there was more time for each. After a busy day working with clients from early to late, I'm often done talking for the day. So playing the violin gives me one creative outlet that's so demanding I could kill myself trying to make a decent sound out of what Mozart wrote. Alternatively, I can do photography or go to my photographic darkroom and get my fingers wet printing up my black and white photographs. (I much prefer the traditional techniques to digital, but that's just a personal thing.) Or I'll go rambling in the hills on Sundays. Gone are the days when I'd do a twenty mile hike and take in two Scottish mountains in a day. 4-6 miles does me fine now, followed by a lovely picnic! But it's so great to get the air about you, hear the birds and wind in the leaves, and stretch a leg.
It's the change of focus and attention that's important. Biologically we all need to alternate between tension and relaxation, busy and rest, noise and quiet, active and passive. Variety keeps us sane, helps us thrive and survive. It's all very well having a rest when we're tired. But a change of focus takes you into a completely different space, and when you come back, you're far more refreshed, revived and vitalised than you would be by just watching television.
Watching others entertain you on TV, football, cinema is all fine....as far as it goes. And don't get me wrong, I love going to the cinema and seeing a good film, or the theatre, concert, or a one off television high-spot. These last just a short period of a couple of hours and can be rewarding, entertaining and great fun. But they are spectator activities and not participative. If we can find something that we are interested in, maybe a bit demanding and also creative, then we will have a ploy that can be as good as a holiday and renew our energy levels better than doing nothing.
If you don't have a hobby, I strongly recommend you find one. For more on this see my previous blog 'The Great Escape'.
Have a good day!
:-)
