A Holiday For Our Brain
Question… are our holidays draining or restoring?
Is a holiday…
…taking time to have some time out, some down time, away from our busy lives.
…taking time to down tools, both work and home.
…doing something enjoyable that lights up our hearts.
…spending quality present time with loved ones.
…giving ourselves the opportunity to relax our sometimes very overworked or overwhelmed brains.
Or…
Are your holidays action packed? Are you aiming to keep yourself, friends, family, or the children busy? Are you packing as much as you possibly can into them? Is it visiting friends and family? Do you end up doing something that someone else wants or needs or is it for you?
How often do we feel like we need a holiday to recover after our actual holiday?!
So instead of hanging in there waiting for our next holiday, hanging onto each day by the tips of our fingers, wearing ourselves out, holding out until our next “holiday”. How about we do something about repairing and restoring ourselves now, before we wear ourselves out, to avoid the crash and burn?
Rest and Repair to Restore…
…before we crash and burn!
When was the last time you can say you truly relaxed?
Would you like to feel rested and restored on a daily basis?
What Exactly is Relaxation?
Is it watching tv? reading a book? doing crosswords?
To put it simply…
NO!
These things are relaxing but not relaxation.
Why, I hear you ask? Good question!…
Because… during each of these activities, we are still using our brains.
When was the last time you truly relaxed your brain?
Giving Our Brain A Rest
I would like you to ask yourself…
Do I feel overwhelmed?
Do I feel like a mist is fogging my head and have difficulties seeing things clearly at times?
Do I struggle to make decisions?
Do I flop into bed utterly exhausted, then have trouble sleeping?!
Do I feel like a rabbit stuck down a hole, unable to reach the exit?
If there is a YES… It may be time to give our brains what they deserve…
A HOLIDAY!! And you know I mean one of those tranquil, retreat style, restorative holidays. A holiday where we feel relaxed, blissful, all muscles and brain relaxed, when we feel safe, cared for and looked after.
How Do We Relax And Look After Our Brain?
We breathe, we release our muscles, we do relaxations, we centre ourselves in the present moment, we use acupressure points and calming essential oils, we consume good nutrition, we drink 2-3litres of filtered good quality water daily, we have time out, we feel safe.
If you are already doing all the above and continue to have problems, I strongly suggest getting some help from a professional.
We need caring Therapists who we trust and that can put us at the forefront of our health journey. We own our bodies and have autonomy over what we do, and what is right for us.
I am one of those Therapists. I truly believe in providing a nurturing and supportive space for all to be themselves.
A space where we can get to know, understand and enjoy being ourselves.
Somewhere we can begin to understand and tune into our own amazing wisdom. A time to connect, and get to know ourselves.
When we understand ourselves inside and out, we are able to reduce our triggers, and respond rather than react.
By knowing ourselves physically, emotionally, and spiritually, we are more likely to be able to access our instincts to help guide and relax us. Together we can do this.
When we build our relationship with ourselves, it is like our own inner Mr Darcy telling us…
“I like myself, just the way I am!”
…my adaptation of what our Mark Darcy says to Bridget Jones in Bridget Jones’s Diary
Thank you Mark and Bridget.
May I Introduce Mr Darcy?…
On that handwritten note segway, I have a couple of opportunities coming up, and no it is not an April fool!
1… We have available right now, the opportunity to meet our own special MR DARCY. We can relax and gain inner wisdom from him and ourselves, in a guided relaxation insightful adventure. Follow the link to be transported back in time to where innocence, chivalry and love triumphs, and we are the star of our own Jane Austen novel.
And also…
Jane Austen Meets Kinesiology In Tascott
2… Because it is the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth date this year, I have decided to begin the celebrations with a most delightful Jane Austen Themed KEEP CALM, CONNECT AND CREATE group, where Jane Austen meets Kinesiology!
I am providing a space to connect with and express our inner Emma, our own Lizzie, Jane, or our Mr Bingley, Captain Wentworth, or… Darcy!
Come along to support and feel supported as ourselves in a world of Jane Austen with hand-made dip pens, splendour and kindness.
If you feel you belong to this tribe, gift yourself the permission to do so.
There are also hand-made costumes I declare!
After all, we all need a support network of kind souls to come together, connect and be ourselves with.
We are the only ones who can truly understand ourselves and our needs, and know what is right for us. Hence…
The Importance Of Knowing And Becoming Ourselves.
… Not Earnest!!
How we view things and by understanding our perception, can impact our ability to calm our mind.
How safe we feel can panic us into either temporarily retreat, hide away or become trapped in our survival brain pattern.
It is so helpful to get to know our patterns of behaviour, and understand when our own responses to stimuli, events or people, need help to change and free our brains to be able to truly relax and find peace.
So, it is not a simple fix, to do this or that. There are many factors to helping us calm our brains.
It is a team effort.
I chose soothing… towards relaxation.
A Mind Body Approach.
When we can reduce our triggers and step out of survival from past experiences, pain, fear, worries, anger, grief, etc, we give our brains a chance to relax.
When our brain and body become a partnership, we can tap into our intuition, our inner knowing, towards helping us calm our brains.
For instance, when we can perceive any work with some form of joy within it, we can relax into it. We can be with our bodies to give them the opportunity to move smoothly with less strain, being more relaxed. We can practice building that joy and enjoy the warm physical feeling it can bring to our brain and whole being.
When we practise whole body relaxation on a daily basis, in a supportive comfortable environment, we have it in our muscle memory, in our subconscious. This enables us to call upon it when we are beginning to feel stressed or overwhelmed, and help calm ourselves.
Relaxation can either be done at home by using a technique you already know, or by listening to a guided relaxation to make it easier.
As already touched on above, I have made doing this simple, and recorded some adventurous relaxations just for these times. Of course, whilst gaining valuable insights into feeling better as ourselves, there is an element of fun being themed just because that’s me! There are ones if you love Jane Austen style, or if you love Star Wars, to use the powerful force of nature around us.
I am also able to listen to them on a regular basis to gain insights about myself each time. Being able to tolerate listening to my own voice is a massive bonus lol!
Another way is to go to relaxation groups, which I happen to have also. I have been working behind the scenes lol. Here is a description of my Keep Calm, Create and Connect groups for some entertaining crafty ways to relax into your body amongst doing things. Quite clever really!
And of course, to really get to the centre of what needs to be changed or released, by all means, I look forward to hearing from you to arrange a treatment time to do just this.
FEEDING OUR SENSES IN ALL SENSE
I encourage you to allow some time out and just be with yourself with your next food intake…
When you sit down to breakfast, lunch or dinner, I suggest losing all the distractions, and just eat. Focus on the process of eating, nothing else.
TAKE IN ALL THE COLOURS OF THE RAINBOW OF FOODS ON YOUR PLATE
BRING THE EXPERIENCE OF THE FOOD INTO YOUR EYES AS WELL AS TASTING ON YOUR TONGUE AND SMELLING WITH YOUR NOSE.
USE ALL YOUR SENSES.
FEEL THE FOOD IN YOUR MOUTH AND ON YOUR TONGUE. NOTICE EVERYTHING.
RATHER THAN ANALYSING EVERYTHING, ALLOW IT TO BE, SEE IT FOR WHAT IT SIMPLY IS.
NOTICE WHAT YOU NOTICE.
Be An Observer, A Witness.
AVOID INTERPRETING… THAT’S MY JOB HEE HEE.
IF YOU START NOTICING THOUGHTS OR A WANDERING MIND… SAY GENTLY…
THANK YOU FOR THAT, THAT CAN BE FOR LATER (OR WRITE IT DOWN TO GIVE SOME REASURRANCE YOU WILL COME BACK TO IT). RECEIVE SOME REASSURANCE, “IT’S OK, I HAVE ENOUGH TIME, THIS IS MY TIME I AM ALLOWED.”
COME BACK TO THE PRESENT, THE FOOD AND YOURSELF,
“I AM HERE”.
“THANK YOU”.
BEING QUIET, STILL, SILENT, CALMING THE MIND CAN THEN ALLOW FOR OUR INTUITION, INNER GUIDANCE TO BE HEARD, OUR SENSE OF SELF TO RETURN.
HAVE A LUNCH DATE WITH YOUR INNER SELF!
HAVE A FAMILY FOOD GAZING GATHERING!
WE ALL HAVE TO EAT, SO INCORPORATE QUIET RELAXING TIME WITH IT.
INVOLVE THE CHILDREN BY GETTING THEM TO WRITE DOWN WHAT THEY SEE, FEEL, HEAR, SMELL, JUST LITTLE NOTES QUIETLY AT THE TABLE, OR WRITE THEM DOWN AFTERWARDS HAVING SAVED THEM UP. REASSURING THERE IS NO RIGHT OR WRONG, IT IS JUST WHAT IT IS, AND EACH PERSON’S EXPERIENCES. MODEL THAT IT IS OK TO BE STILL, AND SIT IN SILENCE.
BE PRESENT WITH YOUR BODY…
What Is Your Relationship With Food?
GENTLY NOTICE WHAT YOUR RELATIONSHIP IS WITH YOUR FOOD.
IS IT A LOVE LANGUAGE, A WAY TO COMFORT YOURSELF OR OTHERS, SOMETHING YOU NEED TO GIVE AWAY, OR FEEL BETTER WITH?
ARE YOU ABLE TO JUST ENJOY AND USE IT AS SUSTENANCE?
OR ARE YOU RUSHING, IGNORING IT, SHUVELLING IT IN QUICKLY TO GET TO SOMEWHERE ELSE OR DO SOMETHING ELSE?
CAN YOUR BODY AND MIND SETTLE, OR IS THERE AN UNDERLYING RIGGLE OR NERVOUS FLUTTERS, OR IRRITATING CHURNING?
ARE YOU RUSHING TO THE NEXT MEAL, CONSTANTLY THINKING ABOUT WHAT CAN BE EATEN NEXT?
DOES FOOD GIVE YOU PERMISSION TO SIT DOWN?
CAN YOU REST WITHOUT EATING FOOD?
BREATHE INTO YOUR OBSERVATIONS,
THANK THEM,
REASSURE THEM,
RELAX.
YOU MAY THEN LIKE TO TRY THE FOLLOWING, OR DO THIS ANOTHER TIME…
What Is Your Posture When Eating?
NOTICE YOUR POSTURE…
ARE YOUR FEET FLAT ON THE FLOOR OR SITTING UNDERNEATH OR OUT AWAY FROM YOU?
IS THERE ANY TENSION IN YOUR BODY? YOUR BACK? HOLDING YOU UP?
IS YOUR HEAD OVER YOUR FOOD, PULLING YOUR NECK AND BACK OUT OF ALIGNMENT? OR ARE YOU USING YOUR PIVOTING POINTS BEHIND YOUR EARS AND AT YOUR HIPS TO MOVE OVER YOUR FOOD WHEN NEEDED?
IS YOUR TUMMY SQUISHED OR NICELY OPEN TO RECEIVE THE FOOD AND BE ABLE TO DIGEST EASILY AND SMOOTHLY?
ARE YOU ABLE TO REST, RELAX, DIGEST AND DETOX?
JUST BE, SWITCH OFF FOR A SECOND, A MINUTE, AN HOUR, WHATEVER TIME YOU HAVE.
AND BREATHE.
GIVE YOUR BRAIN A HOLIDAY!
I will now give my brain a holiday whilst breathing in the beautiful calming scent of Peace and CalmingTM Essential Oil by Young Living. I remember a time on holiday, when we could have cut the air on our bus tour with a knife, it was so tight with tension from a distressed child screaming on the back row. I gently leaned back and offered my Peace and Calming oil to his Mother, who ever so gratefully received it. Around 5mins later if that… zzz… peace and calming did indeed rein, as we felt the mood lighten, as the holiday excitement returned, and love of the oils grew!
I look forward to hearing all about how you go and I will let you know asap the dates for the groups…
Thank you for reading.
Until the next time, Happy Brain Holidays! xo
