The Relaxation Thread

Not to get all philosophical on you here but what, besides cycling, do you like to do to mentally relax, and or physically relax? What waters your soul?

 

Safety Breaks!

 

Good topic. For day to day, I'm a big fan and practitioner of mindfulness meditaion. Usually 10 minutes once or twice a day, sometimes using a guided meditation app, sometimes just doing it on my own.

As far as relaxing, soul feeding activities, fly fishing is about as good as it gets. Standing alone in a trout stream way out in the back country is about as peaceful as anything on earth for me. I neglected fishing in favor of mountain biking a lot this year, but I'm sure will achieve a better balance of things in the coming year.

 

I can picture the standing alone in a trout stream thing because I have done it. And its good!

 

I don't have a particular need to relax. I learned many moons ago that doodoo occurs and you often can't do anything about it. Sweating it doesn't accomplish squat.

I honestly don't understand this "I'm stressed about work" thing that seems so prevalent today. Do you get to go home every night? Are people shooting at you? Are you sitting on a big, fat target? Do you work where a moment's inattentiveness can get you chewed up. spit out, and dead, and do that 15 hours a day 7 days a week?

For me - can't speak for anyone else - work is what I do to have the wherewithal to do what I want to do. I don't hate my job, but my job isn't me. Money isn't everything.

Short version, I'm always relaxed.

 

You should try riding some steeper and chunkier trails.

 

I read posts on the imtbtrails forum of course

 

For me it’s stirring up faith and gratitude. When things get hectic I remember that I’m not alone here.
Like @Runs with Scissors basically says, it’s perspective...we're good at making mtns out of molehills.
Oh and of course, there’s always yoga

 

I'm with @mountaingirl sara faith and gratitude! The only caveat to that for me, is sometimes I question if I am worthy of all that I have been given.

I use these song lyrics often from Neil Fallon of Clutch

"And I take a deep breath and count to ten
Ain't gonna let it get under my skin
Take a deep breath and count to ten
Think of all the nice places that I been"

Simple and effective.

 

I don’t think any of us are worthy, that’s the beauty of grace and unconditional love
Great song lyrics BTW!

 

Yep, sounds stressful.

 

Great thread, @SnakeCharmer

Planning the next taxing outing and the tools/logistics to accomplish it. Not simply which way you're going to take on the circuit, but that next big thing that has one slightly intimidated. Mental peace of mind like no other.

But one can't do that all week long. Equally relaxing (but on a more immediate level) is spending time with my wife and cats. It's quality time just being in the presence of these animals that I love, nothing need be said or done.

Music is often a part of relaxing.


In rare instances I get truly stressed about something, I sometimes use transcendental meditation to slow/lower everything down. "TM" saw popularity in the 1970s, and I witnessed it save my own family from a direct path to destruction. My dad paid the principle protagonist group (affiliated with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi) to learn it. He taught it to me, supplemented by textbooks. Nothing mystical or BS about it.

 

A wise person once told me “The sun will come up in the morning” and “Things tend to work themselves out”.
I have found this to be true. I’m a worrier and worrying doesn’t help or change anything.
Riding a bike or other physical activity takes my mind away. When I am gasping for air and focusing on the trail ahead I can’t focus on things I can’t control. Being physically tired helps with insomnia too.
Sometimes a night’s sleep can change my perspective greatly.
Like Sara said having faith in a power greater than yourself is powerful and eases your burdens.
I “try” to do what I can and leave the nonproductive worry alone.
Stepping off my soapbox now.

 

I generally feel (past tense actually.....felt ) the same way about work and even though police work is supposedly stressful, I always found it exciting or more of a rush and of course a challenge at times in the ultimate game of cat and mouse. My wife on the other hand is one of the corporate management types. She works 60 hours a week as an HR Director and while compensated very well, she is always stressed out about something going on at work and/or how she is going to deal with it. I try to get her to not dwell on work issues but I'm not good at it.

Me? I just take a nap at a moments notice

 

Yass, preach it! Great perspective

 

Good insights here. At the risk of refuting an assertion that wasn't necessarily made, I contend that to transcend stress is to transcend life as a human being. We all have seasons, and micro seasons within those seasons where things get f'd up, sometimes due to circumstances out of our control. But if someone finds themselves in that state constantly or frequently then I feel it's a symptom, not a cause. Living a life with a priority on honesty, gratitude, and not putting your own needs constantly or flagrantly above the needs of others, will go a long way in creating a foundation of happiness where a minimum of "therapy" is needed to keep things copacetic. When I start depending on the therapy (biking, snowboarding, gym, whatever) then I know my foundation is shaky. When "therapy" isn't working and I start turning to "medicine", things that provide fleeting relief but ultimately may even exacerbate the problem (possessions, substances, money, validation, etc.), then I know I'm truly off the beam.

Still, though, fishing is awesome and helps a lot.

 

Writing posts on IMTB... duh!

I'm impressed with the perspectives and strategies listed above. Like others, I have been blessed with a huge dose of calm-the-F@ck down and perspective. While I may have stressful moments at work or in my family life, I have a very existentialist view that none of this actually matters. We are ants. And while that perspective may seem really sad, defeatist or nihilistic, it actually allows one to laugh at things like other people's stupid driving decisions, dumb behavior at work, or nonsensical rantings of political leaders with a narcissistic personality disorder.

Stepping outside. Looking at the ocean, the mountains or anything not infested with humans is a great way to de-stress. Taking small moments every day to notice something beautiful about a human being or their efforts works too. Just be careful you don't make the wrong comment!

 

The peacefulness, clean air, and spectacular mornings of the desert...

 

There are 3 UFO's in that last photo.....You're not at Area 51 are you?

 

Haha...relax, @SnakeCharmer, they come with a message of enlightenment. They know how to relax, and they’ll teach others. With that metal probe.

 

If it's just for selfish me, then it's depicted on my avatar... enjoy smacking that... ball...