Writing Prompt: When I Want to Relax, I Like to Think About...

 

When I want to relax, I like to think about my breath. My breathing is so automatic I don’t even notice it although I would definitely notice if I quit breathing. When I focus on my breath to relax, I pay attention to my inhale to make sure I am breathing deeply while expanding my belly. When I need to relax from busyness or stress, I often breath too shallow not allowing enough to get in my lungs.

 When I exhale purposefully, I can imagine my breath being a color. I can think about all of the things I don’t want in my mind being eliminated as I exhale. I breathe in new energy. I like to see energy as blue like the movement of the ocean.

When I want to relax, I often think about places I have been or things I have seen that were beautiful and relaxing. We have a rose garden in the park near my home. When I stop and notice the light on the pink, white, and red petals, it takes my mind off of whatever might be stressing me even if only for a few moments.

When I was anticipating surgery, I needed a practice for deep relaxing.I walked around the rose garden looking at the variety of roses. I purposefully chose a pink rose and admired its beauty. Then I felt the velvety texture between my fingers while breathing and relaxing. The rose pedal was cool and soft to my touch. When I had surgery the nurse asked how I could be so relaxed. I don’t think she would have understood in the moment if I said it was the pink rose pedal.

As I let go of old memories that used to relax me, I can fire synapses in my brain with new memories with a new life God has blessed me with.