… But you have to come in for pit stops.” 

I have said this so many times in massage or energywork sessions that I wish I had a dollar for every time I have said it!

What I am referring to is that balance is usually thought of as a Zen concept; where you go into a blissed out state, and live there (in a yoga posture) no matter what traumatic events may happen.  Now I have no problem with yoga, if that is your thing, but we all have our “thing”.  I like and use yoga.

But balance may be more of a concept where balance is the righting effect of going 100% and then screeching to a stop to catch your breath, like a racecar coming in to get the fuel and tires to continue on at a crazy pace.

I usually see people when their world has come crashing down around their heads, and they are in pain, hyper-tense, not breathing, and needing some relief.  Getting people and their bodies and their energy to a calm, relaxed state, and in less pain is the righting effect.  Scheduling down time before getting wound back into that knot is also has a righting effect, knowing that there will be a “port in the storm”.

We all have stressful times, and times when we can’t stop yet, but there needs to be an end strategy in place.  Taking time out for massage can be one strategy.  What are the positive ways you deal with stress?

Karate?  Walking?  Listening or playing music?  Involvement in community theatre?  Writing?  Getting more sleep?  Lunch with “the girls/guys”?  Veg’ing in front of the T.V./Computer/Game Console?  Reading a good book? Decorating/painting your house?  Art?  Cleaning?  Long, hot bath with candles?  Playing with your kids or pets? Working in a garden?  Volunteering?  The list goes on and is individual for each of us, at any given time.

Given the intensity and length of stressful situations, we may all reach for unhealthy choices, or close off from overwhelm.  I believe this is where addictions some in, sort of like a baby’s pacifier.  Depending on the situation, these can take us over.  Working back out of crisis situations can be a long or short journey but one that can be shaped by adapting with new habits and letting go of and replacing less beneficial habits.  A mental re-framing and re-claiming of one’s life and relation to it, is the road back.  Getting back your life, you come back up to speed with the rest of life around you.  Now you are back to flirting with the whole racecar mentality.  But now you have choices on how to spend your energy.  …Take time for that “pit stop”.

Mandy  : – )