Let’s start with the fact that I know this post is semi-random.  But it’s been a topic that’s been on my mind lately.

 

 

I’m not known for my relaxing nature.  I love moving and even learned how to knit/started blogging because I can’t sit still while watching television.  But I’m going on vacation starting Friday and I have to get in the mind-set ASAP.

While I may not be able to sit/lay still for extended period of time, certain memories definitely bring me back to more relaxing times.  I like to recall sailboats gliding across the water while they were racing in the Adriatic Sea when I visited Croatia, I imagine myself back on the patio in Breckenridge with our close friends after Ray proposed, and I love to remember renting paddle boats to paddle under the Charles Bridge & to a paddle-up bar in Prague.

 

 

 

I ended going twice with two different groups of people back when I was studying abroad in 2007.  I loved the experience so much that I was even willing to paddle with these frat bros the second time around.  It was incredibly relaxing to experience such an elementary activity in one of the biggest, most scenic cities on Earth.  The water was smooth, the sun was out, and we didn’t have a single care in the world.  What more could you ask for in a relaxing memory?

 

 

To allow myself to meditate on these relaxing times, there are a few, specific elements that I like to focus on to bring me back.:

• The experience in a word.  Often, there’s one word that instantly comes to mind when I picture relaxing times, and my word may be very different from your own.  All experiences I regularly think of “warmth.”  It’s usually a sunny day where I felt that I could just be myself.
• Smells.  Almost all of my relaxing experiences happen outside when I’m interacting with nature.  Smelling the salt water splashing around me, or the fresh mountain breezes, I feel at one with myself and don’t feel the need to rush to the next activity.
• What made it so special/memorable.  Each of these memories was incredibly unique, but the one consistency is that they included being with friends.  While I absolutely feel that meditation and prayer alone-time is important to guide towards mindfulness, true happiness typically comes when we’re in community with others.

 

 

Whenever you’re feeling incredibly relaxed and happy about life, I encourage you to take a second to remember these elements of your experience.  Close your eyes or take a meditative moment to reflect on what you’ll want to remember years from now.  When you’re stressed later on, close your eyes again and think back to that vivid memory.  A few deep breaths later, you’ll be in a new, more positive state of mind.

 

JOIN THE CONVERSATION

Do you have any favorite memories that you like to reflect on to make you feel more relaxed or positive?  How do you actively change your mind set when you’re stressed to become more relaxed and mindful?

Create a great life!