The wonderful impacts that solitude is having on my life are beneficial in the ways that I spend my days. It helps to awaken my consciousness and strengthens my senses to the natural world around me.
When a bird chirps or the wind whistles I notice. I realized that I don’t have to be active all the time, because I am content with being quietly me. Short sessions of solitude are appreciated because stillness is now a valuable opportunity to cherish me. I value and cherish times that I can be at peace with myself. Capturing the world of silence is an intimate relationship with ones-self.
You may want to do something different each time you reward your self with silence. You may choose to quietly cook, clean, garden, write poems or short stories. A quiet place offers creativity. Doing nothing at all is also nice for nourishing your soul. Why not try a few from this list just to get you going.
Enjoy a long quiet ride alone in your car.
Take a walk in the early morning dawn.
Take a walk in the quiet evening dusk.
Take a quiet walk along the beach.
Suggest a silent bike ride with your lover.
Encourage a quiet hike.
Sit on top of a hill to recapture the essence of nature.
Enclose yourself in your favorite room and lavish solitude upon yourself.
Delight In Touching
Touch has a profound effect on our sensibilities and our lives. We find comfort in the smallest things if we are allowed to indulge in our pleasurable moments. Still, we often miss the essential life elements and source of our real joy.
There have been many times – for no reason at all I massaged moisturizing gel on my husband’s feet. He always seems pleasantly surprised. I guess the fact of the matter is he doesn’t have to ask for it, I offer it gladly when I feel that he needs a gentle touch. This simple act of touching brings us closer.
As a young girl I remember stroking my puppy and that always made me feel good, but he would lie flat as a rug and welcome my touch. I would always wonder how good that would feel to have my parents stroke my tummy from time to time. I suppose it just looked like it felt good. As I got grown, I loved when my children would play in my hair or brushed it. That felt so good to me. Even small gestures as regular as walking hand in hand with my 22 year-old son makes me feel proud. It always brings a smile to my face when he grabs my hand as if he helping me do something. I see it as the protective order of things. That feels good too.
When I see those bumper stickers that say… “Hug your child!” or ‘When was the last time you were given a hug.” They are both special reminders that the magic of touch is really a gift from God.
Use Scents That Soothe
Fresh flowers scattered about your home, clean bed linens, fresh smelling clothing, clean smelling home and baked cookies fill the air. Fresh cut grass, turkey roasting in the oven and clothes drying in the dryer brings back memories of care-free days. These are all familiar scents that soothe the mind and help me recall memories of the way things use to be. What are your memories?
I remember spending long hours in the kitchen watching my Aunt Lela cook pastries. She was the family baker. Every Sunday Aunt Lela would cook enough cakes and pies to share with three generations of cousins, aunts, uncles and grandparents. At home, everyday I would wake up to the smell of hot tea, toast, eggs and bacon. I especially remember the smell of homemade buttered biscuits.
Anytime I choose, I can close my eyes and be instantly transported back to a more carefree place and time. In other memories I am surrounded by the comforting scents of my grandmothers house; the homemade baseball bases in my backyard, the huge homemade flowerbed that the whole family chipped in to build, the attic with no windows and Mt Zion Baptist church I attended every Sunday. Each one of these places had their own special scent too. It makes me wish I could turn back the hands of time!
According to scientists, aromas directly affect the brain. The sense of smell is 100 times more potent than any of our other senses. Maybe it’s because our brain registers aromas twice as fast as it does pain.
To benefit from the restorative comfort and healing properties of fragrance, try sprinkling your favorite scented oil on a handkerchief. Sniff it when you need to relax and watch the properties of the oils go to work.
Noise and Its Stressful Effects
For women, it’s a well known fact that the stress of noise and the rigors of daily life can affect the way you look. The simple solution is used to pamper yourself whenever you can.
For decades women have worked hard at keeping their exteriors beautiful. They have religiously exfoliated, cleansed, toned and moisturized their skin, but according to the latest beauty gurus, beauty really does come from within.
For some time now, the New-Age jargon has taught us that looking good comes from feeling good about oneself. If a woman feels healthy and happy, her skin has a better chance of glowing. Which is why, these days, hands-on beauty treatments are designed to pamper the person as well as her skin. As a result, at least 50% of a treatment’s effectiveness is down to the relaxation, not just creams on the skin.
This holistic view of beauty will make sense to anyone who has experienced a stress-induced skin outbreak or a period of dull hair, dull skin and broken nails after an illness.
No matter how much concealer and make-up we use, we really only look our best when we feel our best – and this is more than just a psychological phenomena, it has it’s basis in physiological reality.
A relaxed person actually has increased superficial circulation and more of the hormones, which control healing, and cell replication, as well as more of the endorphins, which give us the feel good factor.
When we are stressed, it does cause beauty problems because of the physiological changes it causes in our bodies. When we’re under pressure, our muscles tighten and restrict the blood flow to every part of our body.
At the same time, it slows down the lymphatic drainage into and out of every organ so that the cells cannot defend themselves from infection. Indigestion, constipation, irritable bowel syndrome and bloating can all be a result and, at the same time, you might notice that you have dull, shallow skin that is prone to spots, strange bumps, allergic reactions and chapped lips that are prone to sores.
When you consider that the skin is the largest organ of the body, and that it also feeds the hair and nails, it’s not surprising that stress quickly manifests itself in the way we look.
Of course, the difficulty with stress-related beauty problems is that it’s rather difficult to eliminate the cause. Stress is part and parcel of most of our lives, and the secret is learning how to cope with it. If the thought of traditional stress management techniques leaves you cold, it’s worthwhile remembering that some of the best ways to relax also involve some of the best beauty treatments.
A new generation of pampering treats work on you from the outside. For example… A facial will deep-cleanse your complexion and will also soothe and relax your mind, while aromatherapy oils, which moisturize your skin, will ease tense muscles and boost your energy level.
Most beauty and health spas today follow one principle: Relax the person and they will automatically look and feel better!
Holistic beauty therapies these days cleverly use complementary treatments to leave us pampered, refreshed and revived.
Aromatherapy started the trend when it was discovered that essential oils worked on the skin and the mind, but other complementary therapies have followed suit, including reflexology, shiatsu massage and acupressure.
What was traditionally the domain of the alternative therapist is now a part of the beautician’s portfolio and I don’t hear anyone complaining.
Recite affirmations, prayers or reminders while showering.
Imagine your showers as showers of blessings.
Good Morning Divas 