This post resonates profoundly with me as someone who believes in the power of rest and relaxation, yet has seen it as incompatible with a productive life connected to people and action. Recently, I thought about weaving relaxation into my life rather than seeing it as a separate event requiring hours of my time. I feel it now in small bursts, like when I am in front of my computer and close my eyes for a moment to breathe deeply and exhale audibly. Or when I am walking down my stairs and feel the muscles in my legs lengthen and contract. Even when I am drying dishes and tucking them away, I love the few minutes where I settle into a sole focus, seeking out and absorbing every drop of water with my towel before gently stacking bowls and flatware in cabinets and drawers. I have also recently realized how active relaxation must be for me to allow its benefits; sitting in front of a television provides a buffer for my churning mind, but does not provide my thoughts with the guidance they need to notice my body in space and time. All this to say, thank you for sharing your experiences and musings!
Thank you for this reflection, Robin. I agree that TV can feel ultimately dissatisfying as a mode of relaxation. A break or escape, perhaps, but it doesn't contribute (for me) to that sense of spaciousness that we all crave.
This post resonates profoundly with me as someone who believes in the power of rest and relaxation, yet has seen it as incompatible with a productive life connected to people and action. Recently, I thought about weaving relaxation into my life rather than seeing it as a separate event requiring hours of my time. I feel it now in small bursts, like when I am in front of my computer and close my eyes for a moment to breathe deeply and exhale audibly. Or when I am walking down my stairs and feel the muscles in my legs lengthen and contract. Even when I am drying dishes and tucking them away, I love the few minutes where I settle into a sole focus, seeking out and absorbing every drop of water with my towel before gently stacking bowls and flatware in cabinets and drawers. I have also recently realized how active relaxation must be for me to allow its benefits; sitting in front of a television provides a buffer for my churning mind, but does not provide my thoughts with the guidance they need to notice my body in space and time. All this to say, thank you for sharing your experiences and musings!
Thank you for this reflection, Robin. I agree that TV can feel ultimately dissatisfying as a mode of relaxation. A break or escape, perhaps, but it doesn't contribute (for me) to that sense of spaciousness that we all crave.