Rock On

Recently, I found myself in a situation of being a little stressed out. Fortunately, it was a good kind of stress. Yes, I do believe that some stress can be good. Never-the-less, I was in a waiting holding pattern playing the “what if game” in my mind.  The “what if game” has a way of totally consuming ones mind and distracting them away from life all together. Perhaps, you have experienced a situation like this in your life. That is the spot I found myself in, so distracted I wasn’t even noticing simple things happening around me. That is when I decided I needed to refocus myself and get present again. I needed to stop the “what if game” and stop worrying about all the different outcomes that could possibly happen. I needed to refocus and become at peace with the fact that the way it all ends up is the way it is meant to be. When I find myself playing this game with myself I have come up with a technique that I call “Rock On.” You can actually do this technique anywhere, however, I do it out on the porch in a rocking chair or on the back deck in a comfy outdoor patio swivel rocking chair. Hints the name, “Rock On”. This is the most comfortable place for me. You can pick your most comfy spot for this refocusing activity. I start by settling into my most favorite chairs and begin to take some deep breaths to relax my body. Then, I begin to simply notice the things that my five senses are experiencing. Sometimes I close my eyes if I’m not using my sense of sight, of course. With the deep breaths I begin to breathe in through my nose and get in tune with what I smell. Lately, it has been humidity, different flower blooms, trees, the lake etc. I will then just enjoy the smells and be grateful for my sense of smell. I'll concentrate on that for a few minutes then go on to my other senses, touch, sight, hearing and taste. I will focus a few moments on each one and then be grateful for all the sensations that I just experienced. After doing this for about 20 minutes, the “what if game” in my mind is gone and I find myself totally relaxed, refocused and at peace with whatever is to come. I believe our five senses were designed to help us understand and notice what is happening in the world around us. By using them in a deliberate way, it has the amazing ability to bring us back to focus. Instead of playing ‘what if” and becoming anxious, sit back and focus on your five senses, be grateful for what you experience and, rock on!