THESE ARE JUST A FEW SUGGESTIONS FOR THOSE WHO MAY NEED TO TAKE A DIFFERENT APPROACH.
It is perfectly O.K. to substitute:
- Walking. Preferably in a park. Even sitting in the park is fine
- Riding a bike in a tranquil area.
- Practicing a hobby that can be done alone and enjoyed
- playing a musical instrument
- Listening to music that is not too distracting. In this case it is good to set the mood for such an occasion. Some people will turn the lights off, burn candles or use aromatherapy to activate the Olfactory System.
For people who have a hard time relaxing.
Not everyone has the same mental activity. This is not in reference to cognition but to mental expendature of energy. Some will find it easier to sit and meditate, while others may find it easier to hike up a side of a mountain. They both have the same reward mentally. They both cause inner dialog. For the chronic "on the go" person it is suggested that, at night especially; that a winding-down routine be adopted. An example of this is:
- 30min. before bedtime turn of phone(s), pagers, tv's, radio's etc.
- Be in your bed-clothing at this time
- Use music, lighting and scent to create a relaxed environment
- Use this time as sacred time. A time to forget about the day, to unplug from outside stimulus.
In time these exercises will bring more mental clarity and less stress into your life. It will be something you look foward to. This will help in making decisions based on your long-term, health related goals.
We have bought the mis-conception that we don't have time. Somehow someone has created a need for us to be this way. Fast-food drive-through facilities, drive-through pharmacies and liquor stores and the idea of instant gratification, all make it easy for us to shrug -off the idea of Total Health. These exercise and ones like them, teach us that time is not as important than being healthy. You can measure the effects of these exercises by the type of sleep you get, the stress level during the day.
"remember that a rich healthy life is more enjoyable than a long unhealthy one."
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