Last weekend I made the opportunity to send a couple of nights away to regain some sanity and recharge the batteries. As I travelled to my destination I started thinking about the things that bring tranquillity to my mind and also refresh me. Three things came to mind and on their own they all comfort me, but put them together and I have bliss.
Reading is one of these things. I have always been a reader and libraries have been a part of my life since I was very young. Having a mother who loved words and a small library across the road my destiny was certain to include books. I am hardly ever without one just in case there is an opportunity to read a couple of pages. There have been times when the lack of a book in a car has lead me to reading the car handbook in desperation. Curling up with a book and losing myself in a whole new world is wonderful. I forget the stresses of the day and within minutes I am relaxing. Whether I am reading for pleasure or information the printed word is beautiful to me.
Listening to music is another way to help me relax. Music has always been a part of my life. Travelling in the family car always included singing with my sisters, and singing in church was always a favourite activity. Looking back I feel sorry for the extended family members who had to suffer through concerts starring my sisters and myself. When I started my own family I created a scrapbook of songs. This scrapbook travelled everywhere with us and soon my little family was continuing the tradition of singing whenever we could. I still have that scrapbook, minus it's cover, and maybe one day I will pass it on to continue the tradition. My taste in music is eclectic and my mood at the time dictates my choice. At work it can be anything from contemporary jazz to rock. Once I am plugged in the hardest part is sitting still in my chair when all I want to do is tap my foot and move in time with the music. Experience has shown me housework is best accompanied by music that makes you want to dance and played as loudly as possible (Alive, Linkin Park, The Feelers and Goo Goo Dolls are good choices). Singing along relieves tension, but should probably be practiced when one has the house to oneself. When I need time out, though, I slip away to my bedroom and play something to quieten my mind. My choice of music depends on my needs and includes opera, meditation music, the rich tones of Dean Martin, the bluesy vocal style of Janis Joplin, the haunting tones of the saxophone, etc. All those stress hormones are killed off as I slowly become cocooned by the music as it's way around the room.
And finally I find I am drawn to water as a way to calm me. Not the sound of a leaky tap, but the sound of waves, rain, streams and waterfalls are soothing. Listening to the crashing of waves on the shore while lying in bed at night is heaven. Sitting by a fire while the rain pours down steadily is comforting. Lying beside a stream and listening to bubbling of the water as it moves over the stony bottom is almost hypnotic. Water features try to imitate these sounds, but the best way to experience them is in their natural environment. Maybe it was those childhood years I spent on river banks watching my father fish that nurtured this delight in the sound of water. I really don't know. I know it quiets my mind and washes all the stress away.
So as you can imagine reading a book while listening to music with the sound of waves on the shore nearby is my idea of heaven.
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