At the end of our week-long vacation on dog beach in San Diego, my dogs were smiling, I was smiling and my beau Beezel was smiling. He then turned to me and uttered the sweetest phrase:
I hope you relaxed enough.
His sweet uttering seemed odd to me for a moment. OF COURSE! I relaxed. But then I ran through all the activities I engaged in throughout our excursion, and it occurred to me that my vacation could easily appear anything but relaxing.
How to relax in the Ryn world
- Daily 2-mile morning walk with dogs on the beach
- Two to three Reiki sessions per day with dogs on bed
- Twice daily sweeping of sand from the hotel room floor and beds
- Daily one-to-two-hour afternoon paddle boarding with dogs
- Twice daily dog rinsing, drying (shampooing on day three and five)
- Shopping before dinner
- Eating dinner during dinner
- Walking around after dinner
- Recovery meeting in the middle of at least one afternoon
- Evening computer time or reading time while bad TV droned in the background
Eeek! When I looked at the activities in review, I had to wonder myself if I relaxed enough. I felt sensational, sure. But where was the traditional form of relaxation my beau seemed to embrace so fully, wholeheartedly and without the need to sweep the bed twice a day?
How to relax in the Beezel world
- Sleeping in until Ryn and dogs return from morning walk
- Lounging about until early afternoon
- Heading to beach to lie on beach while Ryn paddle boards with dogs
- Helping to rinse, dry, shampoo dogs following afternoon beach
- Lounging about until dinner time
- Being dragged around shopping before dinner, walking around after dinner
- Lounging around in the evening watching bad TV
While I know many a soul who would definitely prefer my beau’s lineup of activities over mine, I also know many other souls who would find my own lineup of activities rather tame (Hi, Mom!).
Yes, it appears I can definitely be more of a human DOing than a human BEing. While that at one time would have alarmed me, I have since learned something important.
It’s OK to relax yourself with activities
I LIKE doing, creating, accomplishing. It makes me feel good to actively participate in various activities that enhance my life.
I recall reading people are actually HAPPIEST when they’re acting in alignment with their life purpose, which often means engaging in activities that satisfy, energize and fill our need to be in action.
Reiki sessions are powerful, double as nap time, and can give you a big dose of relaxation and recharging in a rather short amount of time.
The point is, there is absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to be on the go for large amounts of time – as long as the activities are fueling your soul AND you do give your body and mind a chance to recuperate. And as long as you’re not engaging in activities that:
- You’re only doing to prove your worth to yourself or others
- You’re only doing to avoid sitting still and actually ENJOYING the art of being
- Make you mad, irritated or otherwise resentful
- Deplete your soul
If you’re able to answer NO to the above list, you’re fine and dandy. You’re also probably having tons of fun with your special version of relaxation – which may look anything but relaxing to some other folks.
Looking for other ways to discover and celebrate what makes you unique? Book a free coaching call now.
Type A Dog Reggie ‘Relaxing’ on the Beach
No video from me this week, as Reggie “Gigi” hijacked it. As a total Type A personality, he said he wanted to show everyone how he took the time to relax on the beach. Look familiar to anyone? Ahh, the lessons we can learn from our dogs.
Enjoy!
Facebook Comments