Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Cheaper than therapy

I just finished weeding the pea patch and boy do I feel good. A little achey in the shoulders, a broken nail, grass stains on my jeans, a little sunburn on the back of my neck, but I feel good! Digging in the dirt is theraputic for me. I can zone out, let my mind wander while my hands are busy and enjoy the smell of earth, the warmth of the sunshine, the companionship of my chicken. Yes, my chicken, remember? She also feels good when I weed the garden because she gets all the yummy worms and bugs I unearth just for her. One of my favorite quotes is "I know of a cure for everything: salt water. . . Sweat, or tears, or the salt sea." by Karen Blixen/Isak Dinesen whose work I have never actually read. But these things are cures for me too. To go and sit by the ocean and watch the waves, or if I'm lucky, the dolphins. To go for a walk or a run or even hula-hoop for ten minutes on the Wii Fit. And, sometimes, a good old-fashioned blubbering cry will do the trick. Then I am restored enough to go on with my daily life with a lighter heart and a calmer mindset. What are your little therapies that help you put things back into perspective? Please share.

7 comments:

TM CLAN said...

A yoga pose, any yoga pose really will bring me back to RM. (Realistic Me, as opposed to CM 'Crazy Me')

But it doesn't have to be a yoga pose, just deep breathing brings me back to the present moment where everything is alright. I've found it's only the thought of the past and the future that cause my neurosis.

And all those you mentioned too except the earth crawling. I don't dig because I'm scared of bugs. Isn't that sad?

Anonymous said...

for me a good blubbering cry in the shower helps. And a hot bath where I just take a 20 min nap until the water is cold. I so need to do a garden this year.

Clark Club said...

I have a calling as an addiction recovery facilitator for the church. I cherish my experiences on Wednesday nights and there is usually quite a bit of salt water present in the room.

Company EIGHT said...

The warmth of the sunshine? I only wish that could be my therapy right now!

I love to really get into a good book--when the whole house is quiet and settled and I can totally concentrate.

Sarah H said...

Great post, and I have loved that quite for a long time! I agree with it for sure. I love to go for a run as a stress breaker, but I also love watching the waves. So I guess my two favorites ways to use "salt therapy" are exercise and ocean. When I was a kid my grandma had a cabin in the San Juan Islands in Puget Sound and early in the morning before the rest of the family got up I would go down to sit on the edge of the cliffs and watch the waves, it was fabulous. The ocean is one of the most calming things ever. I love it. No dolphins up here, though, but maybe the occasional orca if you're in the right spot.

Tamlynn said...

Michelle, I didn't know you did that! I'll bet you are great at it.

Sarah H, yeah, you never were much of a crybaby. lol. Remember when I came up and we went to the San Juans? That wasn't your grandma's place we stayed at was it?

Grandma Ann said...

I love that quote! It's so true. I have a glass of water with 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt in it every morning.

All those things mentioned (Yoga, exercise, gardening, watching the waves) help to bring me back to myself, but I would add to the list knitting, gazing at the stars, and playing the violin.