Relax

No matter how hard the waves are, you will float on the ocean. ― Kubbra Sait

Relax Into The Cold

My husband has a good friend who spent five years living in Alaska. Once, when we were walking around on a snowy day, I asked him how he dealt with the cold. “You relax into it,” he told me. The moment he said that, I noticed my posture—hunched shoulders and a wince on my face. I straightened up and forced the muscles in my face and body to relax. For a moment, I feared that the cold would sink directly into me, like claws on soft flesh. Instead, the cold simply continued to exist. I wasn’t any colder than I had been before, and my body, freed of its hunched posture, was more comfortable.

Accepting What Is

At this moment of the year, everything around us urges us to be thankful and grateful for all that we have. I also try to remember to relax into the things in my life that are challenging. This is a very busy time for me both personally and professionally. Things need to get done, and fretting and resisting will only make me uncomfortable as I struggle to do them. Instead, if I allow myself to relax, I can embrace each task as it comes before me.

Even with tasks that I often dread, if I take a moment to remember to relax into them, I find I can tackle them with—if not gratitude—a level of acceptance that makes them more pleasant.

Thank You

And, of course, I’d like to thank you for taking the time to read this. I hope you have a safe, happy, and peaceful holiday next week. Happy writing!