Taking flight … a Stress Reduction Plan
Is your life full of stress? Do you find yourself gazing at the birds flying overhead and wishing you were up there too? Would you like to have your problems take wing? Well, that describes me. So, when I learned of this no-fail Stress Reduction plan that just takes a good imagination and the ability to count, I decided to try it.
Following instructions I settled back in a comfortable position, closed my eyes and slowly started to count ...all the time visualizing my stresses taking flight. I barely made it to 5 before I saw my auto insurance payment sprouting wings and drifting away.
Wow, I thought, this thing really works ! 6,7,8 and there went my credit card debt. Suddenly I was the one sprouting wings. I felt myself lifting high and I floated with ease and serenity. I was completely stress free, a blissful feeling. So I continued counting until I felt my wings dip and I knew I was being gently guided back to earth.
But wait … it was not ground that I touched down upon. It was an old pirate ship and I was being led to the plank! I could see the dark water roiling below me and I tried to stop counting but I couldn't. Suddenly a great weight pushed me off the edge and as I plunged to my certain death I wondered why I no longer had wings.
The strange thing was that I couldn't stop counting and suddenly, at number 401, I awoke with a jolt and found I was back in my own little room. “I'M ALIVE” I cried out, breathing a huge sigh of relief and suddenly all those life stresses that had plagued me before seemed mediocre. “I can handle anything that comes my way now”, I said to myself, “THIS COUNTING THING REALLY WORKS” and I bet it will work for you too !
posted by Goldendaze-Ginnie at 6:39 AM
5 Comments:
Be careful. The 401 is a very busy highway in Ontario.
The counting has worked for me on occasion when I combine it with deep breathing.
Liked the beginning, not sure about the end. That is kind of like taking a hammer to the shins to forget your headache:)
I guess that's one way to relieve stress -- whatever works -- to each his own.
Here is my friend Jan's comment (in FULL !)
Interesting... as you probably know, counting your breaths is often used in Meditation, especially for beginners. But it can also become a problem for some who get "hung up" on forgetting where they were, missing a number, dumb things liike that that can create anxiety and thus blow the whole point of meditation. So some facilitators suggest counting to 4 and starting over at 1 so the focus is not making sure the number is correct. (Aren't we strange critters????)
So the point is to relax by focusing on the breath and not worry about the number, but counting does help to keep the mind from wandering off to the day's shopping list, chores list, or other such things. And hopefully it will keep you awake! Unless, of course, your point is to sleep.
Fun post. Thanks, Ginnie
Post a Comment
<< Home