Feeling tired, stressed, drained? You are definitely not alone there, but what will bring you back into balance? There are so many modalities on offer that will take you out of negative energy patterns, even if just for a while, that it is sometimes difficult to choose. How do you know what will suit you? Sometimes it is simply down to the practicality of finding a therapist who has a spare appointment slot when you have not had the foresight to book ahead. However, we each have preferences for specific forms of therapy and avoid others like the plague.
Much has been said in support of the more traditional methods of regaining equilibrium that are based on immersion in nature. We would all have met that person at work who smiles from ear to ear continuously and also takes long hikes in nature every weekend. Although their cheery demeanour in the face of continual workplace irritations is galling at times, you have to admire their ability to willingly and regularly have the energy to immerse themselves in such potent self soothing. In admiration of such success, I have on many occasions availed myself of my local beach for an early morning stroll, before the coffee seekers come out of hiding of course. All my senses are engaged, soothed by the gentle breeze, warming sun and hypnotic auditory rhythm of the waves. This is not to play down the huge benefit in having my craggy, neglected feet simultaneously smoothed by the powdery soft white sand. At the close of one of these sessions I am revisited by this quote from a classic Australian movie, and ask myself, “How’s the serenity?”
Those who recoil from sand and sunscreen may frequent a masseur in search of a similar result. In my experience what begins as a relaxing option, often ends in every painful spot on my body being highlighted, with never enough time in the session to bring me back down from the ceiling and back into relaxation mode. Maybe that’s just me. A friend recently came up with a great idea for a new de-stressing experience: floatation. It had me intrigued, I must admit. We arranged a pre-appointment visit to the site to assess our level of appeal, however, at the time COVID had reared its ugly head once again and we had to wear the obligatory masks. Trying to appreciate the wonders of body temperature bouyancy while wearing a mask that hampered even the most shallow of breaths, was a tad challenging. In spite of fogged up glasses and smelly mask I could however discern the excitement of others there, at the prospect of weightless floating abandon. Each to their own.
It is intriguing how therapy fashions follow cycles in time, and modalities are reinvented. How about those singing bowls that are so often used in meditation these days? Not only are they everywhere now, but available in perfect pastel colours to suit your decor. Only twenty years ago in Australia you may have been seriously looked at askance if you were to whip out your singing bowl in polite company. These days, nobody turns a hair. My, how times change.
The healing benefits of sound are gaining momentum in modern times and are so easily accessible, from the melody of your favourite song to the recently popularised binaural beats, that are supposed to heal almost anything from toe fungus to mental anguish. Way back in ancient times, Egyptian people valued and accessed the acoustic healing power of sound through singing vowels sounds, called toning. Brings Gregorian monks to mind doesn’t it? We know about the Egyptian practice because the hospitals they built specifically for that purpose are still standing today. It is thought the idea was to bring people’s physical, and possibly etheric bodies, back into harmonious harmonic patterns through amplifying healing sounds. The King’s chamber in the Great Pyramid of Giza was specifically designed to enhance the healing effects of ceremonial chanting. A modern day acoustician claims to have had his chronic lower back pain healed while undertaking experiments in this pyramid. What should we make of that?
Possibly the most difficult part of stress relief these days is to choose the means by which you would like it done. Given the easy availability of so many options, one would have to wonder why there are so many stressed and unhappy people in the world. Are they unaware of the options available to them, or do they simply have no confidence in anything other than the mighty pharmaceutical pill? Here’s hoping that each of you is successfully working your way back to your calm, stress-free self. I didn’t mention the therapeutic effects of meditation, because I think that goes without saying. Doesn’t it? Endeavour to always keep your vibes high and stressors low.
Love and light ,
Cate
