Wednesday, August 01, 2012

time out
























I arrived home today from taking time out, to this sweet arrangement of Sol's rainbow shoes resting atop of Pete's big boots. While I was away, they had time together climbing sand dunes and laying amongst the clovers.

Despite all my wholefood, health loving ways, I am not great at making time for looking after me. Ouch. That was hard to confess. I tend to push myself to the edge of the line before putting my hand up and saying, "hmmm I think I need a rest". I am a task master when it comes to myself, always wanting to do more, be more, give more.

While some of you may be just at the start of your wholefood journey, slowly making changes, less takeaway food, more taking stock and so on; I am working on swallowing my own advice, to be gentle, go slow, one small bite at a time and trying to let go a little, cut myself some slack. Given, I'm nearly 40 I feel like a slow learner with this! We all have to start somewhere.

I started today with a shiatsu massage. Have you ever had one? I first had one about fifteen years ago when a neighbour friend was a shiatsu student and looking for people to practice on. That massage was an incredible experience. I slept more soundly that night, had energising vivid dreams and woke with an amazing sense of mental clarity and feeling of complete calm. I'd never had that from a massage before.

So, what is shiatsu? Shiatsu is a Japanese form of massage that works on moving the energy (life force) in the body by applying finger or palm pressure on acupressure points. It is incredibly effective for moving stuck or blocked energy helping to clear fatigue, release emotion and restore balance in body, mind and spirit.

If you are not into having a massage because you don't like the idea of being semi-naked, covered in oil and rubbed down by a stranger, shiatsu is the answer as you remain fully clothed and lay on a futon mattress on the floor.

From my first experience of shiatsu I loved it so much I began studying it at the Australian shiatsu college when I lived in Melbourne. It was just before knowing I was pregnant with River and I vividly remember one of the women in the class on the first day as we went around the circle introducing ourselves and explaining why we were there, she was very softly spoken and answered, "I've spent the last 20 years raising my three sons and now it is time to do something for me." At the time, having not had children myself, I was in my late twenties, and was really taken aback by her answer. I thought to myself "how could that happen? how could she have not done things she was interested in for 20 years? I vowed to myself then and there that when I have children I'm not going to let that happen to me. I am still going to maintain my sense of self". Ha! I laugh at my younger self now.

I am so enraptured with my sons, my husband and being a family and as my natural way of being is to do more, be more and give more I can now so easily see how my sense of self can go missing in action.

I took the first step today to restoring balance. Where are you at? Do you need to make some changes? What do you do to restore your internal harmony and take care of the 'I' in family? I'd love to hear. Oh and I can't recommend enough - have a shiatsu!

5 comments:

  1. go you, so happy that you took the time to nourish you, via a shiatsu massage no less. i am getting better at this but still feel immensely guilty when i do. hmmm.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I've never tried a shiatsu massage before but I really like the sound of them, it has been a little while since I've had a massage. It is easy to forget to do those little things to take care of ourselves, without those moments to ourselves we start to loose sight of who we are individually. I'm glad that you got to have that time to give yourself something you need to be you. xx

    ReplyDelete
  3. thank you ladies for your comments. Book in for a shiatsu Catherine! And Jay, oh yes that old guilt thing - if only we could banish that to a faraway land never to return to us that would be good! I am convinced there is a way for we women to train ourselves out of feeling guilty, when I work it out I'll let you know. xx

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hi Nikki, I'm happy to be introduced to your blog. I'm glad you're taking some time to nurture yourself. I always have to remind myself to slow down and breathe too. I've had shiatsu with an accupuncture treatment and it was very relaxing :) I had some Bowen Therapy last week...I'd been feeling all a bit "wibbly wobbly" since the birth of my second baby girl. It was like nothing I'd ever had done before. My body feels great...aligned and strong again.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Welcome Nicole! Thanks for your comments. It is fantastic isn't it what a difference a great energy treatment can make. I took a peek at your blog and looks like we have lots in common including husbands who fish, you have every right to be proud! Very impressive catch. I look forward to comparing more wholefood and wellness notes.

      Delete

Thanks for your comments. I read every one!

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...