And breathe…

After the last week in the UK and the majority of the week since I returned it is certainly time to breathe. The fire is almost out. There appears to be a small section that continues to smoulder. However residents have returned home, businesses have re-opened and most of the roads are now accessible. Unfortunately a guest who was due to arrive next week phoned last night to cancel and friends who run other businesses in the locality are also losing business. However compared with what could have happened and what we could have lost this seems to be small fry.

Earlier in the week I had a mindfulness session. The session focussed on relaxation, something that I know that I am not very good at. I have been known to sit at a computer for hours even when desperate for the loo or hungry or thirsty, because I wanted to finish what I was doing. I can become obsessed with whatever it is that I am doing. Focus is good however obsession is not. One of the things that we need to think about, if we are considering relaxation is our breathing. It is the most natural thing that we do however there are times when we literally gulp at life and take a series of short sharp breaths. Slowing our breathing, being aware of it is an essential element of being able to relax.

Through various things that I have done over the years I have learned a variety of breathing techniques that when applied appropriately help with relaxation. There is a technique that I have used in mindfulness that overlaps with a technique that we use in Pilates. My Pilates instructor has been known to say that I am the only one in the group that can do it! That cannot be said about any of the other activities but at least I can do that.

Given how hectic the last ten days has been I think that it is really important to focus on relaxation. Without it, it is not possible to recharge and to face the next challenges that life will throw at me and I am sure that there will be some. So I am trying to remind myself that I need to find time to relax. In a hectic world we all need to think of this and remember to do things, even very small things, for ourselves, and sometimes just breathe.

Until tomorrow…