The Art Of Relaxation

September 7, 2023

I am sitting on the deck that oversees the ocean.

The water is ebbing and flowing as it lovingly reaches out to the shoreline.

The sound is like a gentle whoosh, followed by an even more faint whoosh as it re-traces its steps in a mesmerizing dance.

I hear my heartbeat, almost in sync with the whoosh.

I thought I would be writing about magnesium for this month’s blog. In my humble opinion, it is one of those elements that most of the population is deficient in. I was going to tell you about the different types of magnesium supplements and which types are best for what ails you. I was going to write about what foods contain magnesium. I was going to explain how magnesium can be relaxing for your system.

Then I looked up from my keyboard and listened.

Whoosh...whoosh.

I instantly decided to broaden my topic to not one specific item (magnesium) and instead to look at the bigger picture of relaxation.

How do you relax? Do you do things daily that help you relax?

I am not thinking about the superficial, self-soothing "relaxation" categories of substance use, that daily glass of wine, scrolling on your phone or renewing your membership on the Shopping Channel.

It goes deeper than that.

At the root, how do you re-center yourself? How do you bring yourself back to you?

Why is it important to do this?

Cortisol is a hormone that is produced by your adrenal glands which are located on the top of each kidney. Increased stress or busyness will increase the cortisol that is released into your bloodstream. Thus, our day-to-day schedules can elevate our cortisol levels. This includes physical, emotional and mental demands that we experience.

Persistently high cortisol levels lead to many types of problems in the body. Hyperglycemia, type 2 diabetes, weight gain, fatigue, irritability, other hormonal problems and increased blood pressure are many of the problems that can happen. Almost all of your body's processes will be affected negatively by chronically high cortisol levels. It is a big player in the health of your body.

Thus, learning to find "that balance" in your life is vitally important for your health and well-being.

How to get into a state of harmony with yourself? Here are a few ideas that I find useful:

• Journal your thoughts. Writing things down moves them from your mind onto paper. Reading your thoughts may help give you a new perspective on what is on your mind. Writing things down may keep the thoughts from looping in your brain 24/7. Gratitude journaling may help you see the good rather than the negative more regularly. You can take journaling as far as you want - it is a simple but powerful way to benefit your health.

• Mindful breathing. Focus your attention on your breath. This has been shown to have a meditative effect on your body. There are many different techniques for this. One is the 4 7 8 technique where you breathe in for 4 seconds, hold the breath for 7 seconds and then exhale for 8 seconds. Another very common one that I also like is called Box Breathing. Here you exhale over 4 seconds, hold your lungs empty for 4 seconds, inhale at the same pace as the exhale for 4 seconds and then hold your lungs full for 4 seconds. Rinse and repeat the exercise.

• Get outside. If you have read my writing before, you know I am a huge supporter of visiting Mother Nature on a daily basis. Take your shoes and socks off and ground yourself in Her magnificence. Doing this electrically reconnects you with the Earth. You are an electrical Being. The Earth is an electrical entity. Studies, although limited, show decreased stress, depression, fatigue and pain with people who use grounding in their habits. Even without grounding (also called earthing), Mother Nature is your friend and being out with her will pay spades to your health.

• Get off your devices. Blue light from phones, tablets, computers, and TVs are harmful for prolonged periods of time. Too much blue light at night can suppress melatonin production which in turn will disrupt our sleep. Less device time equals more Mother Nature time. Less device time equals more present moment time.

• Find something that brings you joy. For me, this is two things. One, being with Mother Nature always calms me and makes me notice the little things. That bug, that bird, that tree, the way the sun dances in the sky, the way the leaves flutter. In Nature, everything comes into focus for me more crisply and it makes me remember that I am just a small blip in the whole scheme of things. Two, being in service to others also brings me joy. Being in service humbles me and reminds me, as Ram Dass (sometimes attributed to Rumi) stated, "We are all just walking each other home." What bring you joy?

In both my experience and observation, changing your mindset about rest, relaxation, recharging and rejuvenating is a major part of finding your balance spot. In a society where often busier is seen as better, more accomplished, and living a fuller life, the importance of truly relaxing and resting is sometimes brushed under the rug and looked at as a weakness.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

It is important for your health to create restful downtime. I think the key word in this is create. You need to be intentional in making this happen for yourself. You need to schedule it until it becomes second nature and part of your routine. It’s not a “do I deserve it” sort of concept.

You need it.

Think of relaxation as not just an activity…it’s really the outcome of the activity. Maybe the examples listed above don’t float your boat. That’s okay. Find something that does.

Ask yourself these sorts of questions though with your relaxation practice: how do I feel after doing this? At ease? Grounded? Back to center?

The usual culprits of TV, alcohol or social media are more often than not, distractions. They are not something to bring you back to your center.

Don’t put so much pressure on yourself to “do the right thing.” Give yourself permission to binge watch your favourite TV show. Loosen your expectations of what you should be doing. Just look to make better choices more often that support how your body works at its core.

Your body, mind and heart will thank you!

I will talk about magnesium another time! ;)