A Day Away to Rejuvenate
On occasion, someone will ask me if I ever get claustrophobic in Our Little House.
Most of the time, I don’t, but sometimes, like anyone, I need to get away.
It’s been an especially rough couple of weeks with all of the illness and trying to stay on top of work around the house and the work I do to make money.
The truth is, that no matter what size of a house we live in, we all need a little break now and again.
So, I’m working hard to get ahead of my work and I’ve cleared the clutter and cleaned the house so I can take a “Me Day” sometime this weekend.
I’m especially looking forward to a relaxing, rejuvenating therapeutic massage. I know, many people think this is a luxury that only helps relax our minds, but there are really physical benefits to a massage.
A deep tissue massage can release toxins held in the body and loosening these toxins up helps them flush out of our system. I know I have plenty of toxins trapped right now.
My massage therapist was so good in the city, I’ve been hesitant to try one here without a recommendation from someone who knows a really good therapeutic massage (I don’t have the money to waste). We have a new studio in town. The owner teaches yoga and is a licensed massage therapist. The owner of our local health food store recommended her, so I’m hoping I’m not disappointed!
Other things that will help relax and rejuvenate me:
- Getting my haircut
- Eating sushi. Having a meal of my favorite food, especially in a place where the staff is so friendly is relaxing.
- Getting a special frappe coffee at our locally owned coffee house. The perfect end to a fun day.
I guarantee I will come home relaxed and refreshed and ready to tackle whatever the next week throws at me!
What do you do to rejuvenate?
This sounds like a great day! I love activities like yours too, actually, especially sushi. When I need to decompress, I’ll wander around a bookstore or library by myself and just thumb through things, maybe curl up in a corner and read in silence. I also find being on the water very relaxing — just sitting by the river does the trick for me. And a quality frappe — what can’t that solve? 🙂
Oh, yes, being on the water is wonderful. I started my meditation yesterday by thinking I was on our boat, bathed in sunlight…I fell asleep! 🙂
I have days when I absolutely have to get out of here or I will explode. Hope you had a good time!
Thank you, it was wonderful.
Oddly, some researchers actually investigated how massage affects the body physically:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/21/health/research/21regimens.html
For those who might need more proof than just how they feel after a massage. ; )
And they probably spent lots of money to research that when anyone who has ever had a massage knew it! 🙂 Interesting, Diane, thanks for posting the link.
Kerri,
Enjoy your mini vacation and time…
My massage therapist is located about 17 miles north of my community. She is a Reiki master and does theraputic and deep tissue, and has a spa. I do allow this in my budget as she helps me to keep my spine and body pain at bay, as I take no drugs for the pain and with titainium in my spine, it is painful some days.
I feel this isn’t a luxury at all but a medical control for me and a bonus of an hour and a half of pure bliss, her studio is in the country, and away from the highway noise and community clutter, all you here are chickens and coyotes, and the breeze blowing through the cottonwoods, and then all is well for a while.
You have to drink lots of water before and after, to flush out toxins or I assure you, you will feel very bad for a few days, after my spine surgery, and a few months of healing, I went back and boy was I ill from the meds and the other gunk in my system, as I was dehydrated and didn’t drink enough water. Sure teaches you a lesson.
You’re right, Vicki, this isn’t a luxury at all for many of us, but a necessity to help keep us well. I had a bad car accident in my 20s and my back still reminds me of it. I can really tell when I haven’t been taking care of my back (and I haven’t since I’ve moved here).
Thanks for the good wishes. Can’t get into the therapist this week, but it will give me something to look forward to next!
I have a FABULOUS massage therapist who does neuromusclular work. Sadly now a 3+ hour drive away. I miss her work more than anything else in the big city.
I know, Frugal. Mine is 6 hours away and I haven’t seen her in 2 years. 🙁
Oh, isn’t it wonderful, Alexandra! My therapist in KC also did cranal work and relieved me of my sinus headaches. To this day I do not suffer with them as I did there.
I totally agree that massage works well as a health benefit and for taking care of yourself. I like to go to a restaurant on Saturday mornings, have a light breakfast, maybe a latte, read the newspaper and then either stroll the Farmer’s Market or browse in a bookstore. That time seems to refresh and rejuvenate me.
That sounds heavenly, Heather. When we lived in the city, we would sometimes go and have breakfast and go to a huge kitchen store we had there. It was so much fun browsing and trying to figure out what all those gadgets actually do!
My favorite way to get a fresh perspective on things is to go ride my horse. She’s a handful, lots of fun to ride but definitely not an “autopilot” horse. When I deal with her, I have to be focused and in control the minute I put her halter on. If I let anything distract me, she knows instantly and will take full advantage!
I love her to death, but kind of the same way you love your problem child. You know they’ve got all kinds of potential, but getting them to perform and follow instructions can be challenging. However, when you succeed and they rise to expectations, it’s the best feeling in the world.
Working with Raven forces me to put all other issues out of my head for a couple of hours. I keep her at my sister’s barn and in the summer, when I’ve finished riding and put her away, my sister and I sometimes put on swimsuits, grab a cold beer and float in her pool for an hour or two. I always feel wonderful after an afternoon like that.
I hope you get a nice break this weekend, Kerri, and are able to enjoy some of your favorite things!
I can’t say I can identify with working with a difficult horse. Once you’ve been seriously hurt by one, I think that ruins that a little. 🙂 But I can certainly identify with floating in a pool with a cold beer – very relaxing! Thanks, Kathleen. The massage therapist can’t get me in till next week, but I certainly plan on doing these other things.
I had my first massage ever last fall in Eureka Springs… the next day there were so many toxins working their way out of my body that I was literally sick. I couldn’t believe it. Need to do that again… but maybe on the last day of a fun weekend, instead of the the first! Enjoy your day, Kerri. We all deserve one of these now and then!
Yes, that can happen, Kim, especially if the massage therapist doesn’t tell you to drink lots of water to help flush your system. Bummer you got sick during the trip.
Oh, am I ever with you on massage. I never used to allow myself this luxury, thinking it was not worth it. Was I ever wrong! I now think massage is really important to health. My massage therapist also does polarity, which is amazing. Body work. Who would have thought? She went does continued education and learned cranial-sacral therapy which I had before dental surgery. I have had a lot of dental surgery over the past three years. That is basically why I continue to work so hard, to be able to pay for this necessary but costly dental work. The first time I had the operation, I was in pain for four days. The second, third and fourth time, I went to my massage miracle-worker beforehand and had no pain with the surgical procedure the following day. I totally recommend massage, of all kinds, with a talented massage person. It is hard to change, I know, if you move somewhere else. So glad you let yourself try a new one near your little house!