Long Hollow

Where seeds of thought have room to grow

recent posts

about

Realtor, writer, blogger in Austin, TX

The Art of Relaxation

One September about twelve years ago I made a phone call to a previously unknown-to-me condominium complex in Port Aransas, Texas, and reserved a three bedroom condo on the 5th floor.

I needed to escape.

Not a permanent escape, of course. Just a few days all to myself, where I didn't have to cook anything, clean anything, be anywhere at a certain time, make any phone calls, settle any arguments, attend any meetings…

I could just take care of myself and no one else.

And my body literally ached, mentally and physically, for the beach. For the lounging, the reading, the song of the surf and birds, the sun on my body.

A few margaritas sounded good, too.

So I rounded up some friends who needed a short escape just as much as I did (I couldn't afford that place by myself!) and we spent a glorious weekend on the coast.

Our condo overlooked the beach on one side and the bay on the other. I lucked out because some of the women relaxed by cooking and a few others by cleaning, so they got their dream weekend and I got mine!

Marykay, jacque, conni, me, nancy, susan on the balcony
Conni, mk, nancy, rachel, jacque, marla, tamara on the beach

Conni - 99
Susan, Kim, Nancy, me, Jacque, Marla, Tamara, MaryKay, Conni, Rachel
(You can tell by the way I'm dressed… I'm the old lady in the middle… I really needed a Mommy break!)

I've gone back every fall except one, with mostly the same women, give or take ten or twenty. (It caught on, as you can imagine.) 

Days of unscheduled time at the beach with dear friends, a good book, my camera, and a cocktail or two. That's my answer to BlogHer's Life Well Lived "Get Happy" Question of the Week…

What are your favorite relaxation techniques?

IMG_0190

DSC_0297

DSC_0493

DSC_0410-2

DSC_0221


And what benefits do you see from practicing them?


Oh, I forgot to mention the benefits…

They're too numerous to count, but they include sanity, serenity, deeper friendships…

…Just one big <sigh> that lasts almost a whole year. (Two trips a year would be perfect. Maybe three to play it safe.)

So now tell me, because I'm nosy, what are your favorite relaxation techniques and what benefits do you see from practicing them?

(After sharing, visit the main post on BlogHer (here) and don't forget to enter the current Life Well Lived Sweepstakes! (here))


http://oascentral.blogher.org/RealMedia/ads/adstream_jx.ads/blogher.org/LWL_Aug11_Review_001/@x13

 

Posted in , , , , , , , , , , ,

20 responses to “The Art of Relaxation”

  1. Gail Avatar
    Gail

    Barbara, this is a wonderful idea! You certainly have a huge bank of friends to pool from. Glad you were able to get away and decompress. My favorite thing to do is photography. Holding my camera and being close to God’s creation does it for me every time. 🙂

    Like

    Reply
  2. Barbara Shallue Avatar
    Barbara Shallue

    Well, you know that's true for me, too – my daily relaxation! But combine it with the beach and WOW! I took over 500 photos this past trip (3 days!) At least 400 were of sea birds! I still haven't really looked at all of them! lol

    Like

    Reply
  3. Bella Casa Avatar
    Bella Casa

    I have a few methods I use, but the first one that comes to mind is doing nothing …absolutely, positively just doing nothing. After I tire of that …I throw in some drawing, reading, and margaritas!

    Like

    Reply
  4. Suldog Avatar
    Suldog

    I’ll be indulging in one of my favorite ways to relax tonight, as soon as I get home from work. Cook a good meal (but nothing too complicated, lest that activity stress me out), then kick back with said eats in front of the TV while a beloved old sitcom (carefully chosen from the DVD library) plays. Belly full and belly laughs; hard to beat.

    Like

    Reply
  5. Barbara Shallue Avatar
    Barbara Shallue

    That sorta relaxes me just reading about it! Have fun!

    Like

    Reply
  6. Barbara Shallue Avatar
    Barbara Shallue

    The older I get, the harder it is for me to do nothing!! Adult onset ADD, I suspect, or just years of having to constantly mutlitask. Even at the beach I find it hard to lounge for long – I have to get up and walk (with my camera, of course!)

    Like

    Reply
  7. Agnes Avatar
    Agnes

    Sounds awesome Barbara, what a GREAT idea!!!!!

    Like

    Reply
  8. Lady Fi Avatar
    Lady Fi

    That sounds like bliss – pure heaven!
    Gorgeous shots too.

    Like

    Reply
  9. lisleman Avatar
    lisleman

    You have a great thing going with these supportive friends. Slowing down our fast world is not easy but necessary at times.

    Like

    Reply
  10. Wolf Pascoe Avatar
    Wolf Pascoe

    I like the part where you bring along people who relax by cooking. I’d like to borrow them for a week at a quiet lake in the Adirondacks.

    Like

    Reply
  11. Barbara Shallue Avatar
    Barbara Shallue

    I bet if you paid their way, they'd go!! lol Heck, if you paid my way, I'd cook!

    Like

    Reply
  12. Barbara Shallue Avatar
    Barbara Shallue

    Amen! And boy do I know how blessed I am to have these friends!

    Like

    Reply
  13. Barbara Shallue Avatar
    Barbara Shallue

    Thank you! It is!

    Like

    Reply
  14. Barbara Shallue Avatar
    Barbara Shallue

    Thanks, Agnes. I know you already travel and live near the beach, so you know how fun this is!

    Like

    Reply
  15. beth Avatar
    beth

    too easy….you already know mine !!
    i wonder how many people answer the beach/ocean/sand/etc…….
    today i’m missing the sound of the ocean…..xo

    Like

    Reply
  16. Barbara Shallue Avatar
    Barbara Shallue

    Yeah, I knew what you were going to say!!
    I think we need to plan a little blogger convention down in Florida, don't you?

    Like

    Reply
  17. Debbie B Avatar
    Debbie B

    A great post at the perfect time. I’m taking my best friend from college (she moved to League City about 8 years ago from Maryland) to Galveston tomorrow. She called yesterday and asked if we could go so she can sit in the sun and listen to the wonderful beach sounds before she start her next round of chemo. This round will be the really bad one which will make her sick and cause her to lose her hair and she is dreading it. Hopefully our beach time will put her in a more postive frame of mind to help her approach this next step will the strength she needs. Thanks for sharing this!

    Like

    Reply
  18. Barbara Shallue Avatar
    Barbara Shallue

    Debbie, I haven't known you long but it was obvious from the start that you are one of those friends who stick for life, so it doesn't surprise me that your friend would know she could count on you and that she would want you to be the one with her enjoying the sun. I hope y'all had a beautiful day and I'll keep her in my prayers!! Thank you so much for sharing this with me!

    Like

    Reply
  19. Cheryl Avatar
    Cheryl

    Since relaxation is the topic, I would love to share my favorite relaxation technique. When I have had an exhausting day at the office and have already broken up three kid fights, it is time for me to head out to my hammock. Here I have the ability to mentally teleport to another land. I usually go ocean side and let the stress of the day melt away.

    Like

    Reply
  20. Barbara Shallue Avatar
    Barbara Shallue

    That's a wonderful gift! I'm going to have to practice that to make due in between my annual trips! 
     

    Like

    Reply

Leave a reply to Gail Cancel reply