Musings on Relaxation

Recently my partner and I took a trip to the Outer Banks of North Carolina and while we were on vacation I caught a cold (go figure). But it didn't really matter to me since most of the trip consisted of either sitting in the car or sitting on the beach. Easy enough to do when you are sick. We rented a cottage in Avon right by the beach. The cottage we rented had sliding glass doors (facing the water) which I left open to feel the ocean breeze. The living room was on the 2nd story of the cottage and the cottage was up on stilts so the view was great. Plus, the height had the added benefit of being out of the bug zone. While we were there, I had the lovely experience of laying on a couch which was facing the ocean. My view was just over the top of the dunes so I could clearly see the waves crashing.

As I was laying there on the couch, in the breeze, watching the waves, I felt so happy and so at peace. I napped a bit, I zoned out a bit, and I was perfectly content to be where I was, when I was, how I was. How often does that happen? OK, I know it's easier to feel content when we are somewhere awesome but it made me think about how to settle into contentment at home too.

When I got home, I was walking to work and listening to a Yoga Peeps podcast featuring Eoin Finn, who was talking about Blissology, connecting with nature and finding enlightenment by laying in a hammock. It reminded me of my couch-beach experience. I was so relaxed, so at ease. My mind was quiet, mesmerized by the waves and the feeling of the breeze I guess. My hope is to remember that feeling of living in the moment, settling into relaxation and feeling content in the moment. I find myself drawn more and more towards, Yoga Nidra, Deep Relaxation and Restorative Yoga to feed my need to soften into life.