How Do You Relax?

[yakers]

I meditate, just got back from 3 days at the Mt Baldy Zen Center. I also get into the same mental space when I kayak; I just go with the waves, put one paddle in front of the other and the mind just sort of shuts off. My brother says fishing does it for him and my wife is a knitter. Now I find an interesting book that just describes how it can fit into a normal, active American life:

http://www.paulbfarrell.com/Paul_B_Farrell_Millionaire_Meditation.pdf

So what do folks do here to keep "centered"? Make up Excel spreadsheets?

 

[cube_rat]

In no particular order:

* Really difficult crossword puzzles
* Working out
* Food
* Compiling COBOLS

 

[mathjak107]

pulling the wings off of flys

 

[Nords]

So what do folks do here to keep "centered"? Make up Excel spreadsheets?

Hey, whoever that is, I gotta coupla projects for you!

Surfing.
Note to self: NEVER AGAIN make a dental appointment, or any appointment, for the morning when the breeze is still offshore-- even if it's months in advance-- in case the surf swells out of nowhere to booming 4-6 curls.

But I know where I'll be "centering" tomorrow at 8:45 AM...

 

[Jarhead*]

In no particular order:


* Compiling COBOLS 

Cube: Had no idea what Cobols were. Sounded like it might be "dirty", so I looked it up.

What a disappointment.

 

[cube_rat]

Cube:  Had no idea what Cobols were.  Sounded like it might be "dirty", so I looked it up.

What a disappointment.

Yes, it's quite disappointing and totally unsexy work. To know this stuff pays well but the yawn factor is too much some times.

 

[lazygood4nothinbum]

when i really need it i induce a lucid dream and then place my dream body in lotus posture. but if i want to relax while on the run i just snack on little chocolate. mallowmars seem to work best. oh. um. sex works really well too, on the run, in dreams or with mallomars.

 

[cj]

Also in no particular order:

1. Breakfast or lunch out with DH
2. Long walks
3. Sitting on the porch, listening to the birds
4. Playing in the garden - planting, weeding, whatever
5. In the evening, watching Seinfeld reruns. Don't know why it still makes me laugh.
6. A good novel without too heavy a plot

 

[Outtahere]

Walking, running or just playing with the dog.
Gardening
Watching a ball game
Cruising Ebay
Watching one of my 3 favorite movies
Taking a leisurely ride on the back roads on the bike
Sitting out on the patio with a glass of wine
Indulging myself in my hobby

Actually just being at home relaxes me, the minute I pull in the driveway my whole mindset changes and I gear down.

 

[poboy]

Beat the living daylights out of a golf ball.

 

[azanon]

Having sex with my wife does it for me.

 

[grumpy]

I really zone out when I swim. I usually do 1.5 miles of non-stop freestyle three days a week. With the sensory deprivation of muted sound, goggles, etc. I just focus on the repetitive rhythm of my stroke and breathing. It has the same calming effect as the self hypnosis that I used many years ago to quit smoking.

I also zone out on the 4 to 5 mile walks I take three days a week. Its not as calming as swimming because I have to pay more attention to my souroundings but when the weather is fine and the birds are singing it is very relaxing and satisfying.

Grumpy

 

[Martha]

***
Watching one of my 3 favorite movies
***
Indulging myself in my hobby

So what are the three favorite movies and the hobby?

 

[Outtahere]

Yea I know total Chick flicks but

Bridges of Madison County, You've Got Mail and American President



As for the hobby it's a collection that I indulge myself in


Oh and I didn't list sex with dh, I just figured that was a given.

 

[Sarah in SC]

I put myself back on the boat we lived on in the Bahamas a few years ago. I remember some random day where we just kicked back in the cockpit looking around, just absorbing the day, maybe reading. Thinking of how calm and peaceful it was then is like meditaion to me now. That helps to remind me what we'll be doing more of when we retire! Back when I was building our house, I used to mentally walk through the rooms of the new house, even though it was just a foundation at that point. It helped me relax and feel better about my goals at the same time.
Sarah

 

[riskadverse]

nap

I keep getting up earlier and earlier as I get older and older. I get about 7 hours sleep at night, and lots of days I add a one hour nap. I've come to love those naps. I can fall asleep in about 3 minutes at anytime of day or night for that matter.

 

[Dreamer]

I love to read. A good book can take me away from everything!

Dreamer

 

[Martha]

Re: How Do You Relax?---for grumpy

Grumpy, I just read a blip in the WSJ from a couple of days ago about swimming and minimizing back problems. The author said he uses a mask and snorkel to avoid lifting his head out of the water repeatedly. He also uses fins to strengthen his legs without tiring his back.

 

[lazygood4nothinbum]

Re: How Do You Relax?---for grumpy

Grumpy, I just read a blip in the WSJ from a couple of days ago about swimming and minimizing back problems.  The author said he uses a mask and snorkel to avoid lifting his head out of the water repeatedly.  He also uses fins to strengthen his legs without tiring his back.

best things you can do for a bad back: swimming, full-body massages, keep weight down, stretch & exercise muscles (especially abs, lats, glutes, obliques and the little ones that run along the spine--forgot what they're called) so that your weight is carried more by the muscular system & less by the skeleton.

i ruptured two discs in nasty construction accident in the 1980s. they wanted to cut me open but i said no way and went the "alternative" route. back then i lost control of lift (couldn't stand on my toes) so i couldn't run out of the hospital, i could only limp away. now, with proper "non-medical" care, my only symptom is a little numbness in my right leg and foot. no pain, no loss of motion.

swimming is also excellent for fat loss and circulation system. the largest massing of muscle is waist down (well, for some guys anyway-hehehe). but i digress. legs are where most muscles are.

your notation of fin swimming truly helps leg muscles big time. the fins to use are not ones we use for diving or snorkling which ease us through water; rather, there are specifically shortened fins designed to increase exsertion. in the case of a bad back, they should be used with care especially while building up leg & torso strength. zoomers (blue, not red) are ideal for this http://tinyurl.com/mlvjl .

some of us also use swim paddles to increase upper strength, but i've found these should never be used without either fins or a flotation device supporting the lower body lest the back tends to arc too much. my personal preference is the catalyst paddles http://tinyurl.com/prqv5 . i use the smaller size so as not to put too much stress on rotor cuffs. (no affiliation with web sites, just posting for info).

 

[grumpy]

Well, that is all good advice about swimming, unfortunately it doesn't work for me. My surgery involved cutting through most of the major lower back muscles that attach along the spine and removing the processes (the bumps on your spine) where the ligaments and muscles are attached. Without the normal attachements those muscles simply do not work well. Also I suffer from severe foot and calf cramps if I kick much when I swim or even push hard off the turns. Yes, I've tried all of the normal remedies (specific exercises, stretching, potassium, bananas, better hydration, even tried quinine). I suspect that there is nerve damage in my back that sends random signals to those leg muscles. So I barely kick at all when I swim. This puts extra stress on my shoulders and elbows already so I don't use paddles ever. I only swim every other day to give my joints time to recover.

I've been doing the fitness swimming regularly for almost 30 years and have figured out what my body can tolerate and what it can't. My cardio fitness is excellent. My resting heart rate is in the low 50's. I expect to still be swimming even when they have to wheel me to the pool and dump me in.

Grumpy

 

[kz]

A good 6+ mile hike with hubby.
Breakfast out with hubby.
A couple of beers out on the back patio while we grill.
Our daily 2.5 mile walks with the dogs.
Curled up on a comfy chair with a good book.
A latte with my best friend at our favorite coffee shop.
A leisurely boat ride at sister's lake house.

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Having sex with my wife does it for me.

Sounds good, I'll have to try it sometime. Whats your address?

 

[lazygood4nothinbum]

So I barely kick at all when I swim.  This puts extra stress on my shoulders and elbows already  so I don't use paddles ever. 

so sorry to hear that. back surgery was precisely what i sought to avoid. might i still suggest you try the flotation device for your legs. when you are not kicking the bottom of your body tends to sink, which puts more stress on your upper body including your back.

there are a few types, one is simply two roundy bits of styrofoam tethered so that one is on top and one under your legs. this one is easy to keep a grip on. another is a solid piece of foam like this one http://tinyurl.com/knzvm .

using this will keep your back straighter as your arms pull your body through the water and likely will release that extra stress you notice. also martha's idea of snorkle and mask would be good idea.

 

[Jarhead*]

Sounds good, I'll have to try it sometime.  Whats your address?

CFB: Azanon was discussing the way he handles "stress" one day with one of his fellow employees, who had been treated for a variety of stress disorders.

"The way I've been able to overcome those feelings, is by going home twice a week for a "nooner" with my wife, Azanon stated"

About a month later, Azanon noticed the obvious difference in his work-mate.

"You must have followed my advice, you look like a different man already."

"Oh yeah, stated the work-mate", I really appreciate your advice. And before I forget, I want to compliment you on the fine job you did building the Patio."

 

[grumpy]

Lazy,

Thanks for the advice. I used to use a pull buoy many years ago. More recently I found that the pull buoy caused me to arch my back too much for comfort. Years ago I took a swim clinic called "Total Immersion" which, amount other things emphasised "pressing the T", meaning keeping your chest ( center of gravity) low and flat in the water which keeps my legs from sinking even without much kicking. I only kick enough to counteract the torque from my upper body.

Re avoiding back surgery. Wish I could have. I had a benign tumor within my spinal column that was pressing on the nerves to my lower body. Before the sugery I was becoming paralyzed. As it was, some nerves that were imbedded in the tumor had to be cut to remove the tumor. I had the surgery at age 18. That was in the days before CAT scans and MRI's. In the 41 years since I have learned to accomodate to the degree of disability that I have.

I have been involved in swimming all of my life. My wife and I met while teaching swimming at a camp for disabled children. My own kids both learned to swim before they could walk. My son went on to swim in college and came close to making the US Olympic team in 1996 and he was ranked in the world top 25 for 200 M breaststroke. We attended his meets all over the country and several overseas. I still follow competitive swimming as a fan and occasionally attended local and national meets even though my son has long since retired from competition. It is a wonderful sport and exercise that has greatly helped me to retain a degree of mobility that my doctors find surprising when they see my x-rays.

Grumpy