The Best Places To Go And Retreat - Get Over Your Stress!

By: James Calvin | Posted: Dec 4th, 2006

The stress of modern life can be overwhelming. When you have too much on your mind, your body produces excess stress hormones like adrenaline, non-adrenaline, and an adrenal-cortex hormone. Additionally, your body experiences other changes. Your heart rate increases, your blood pressure goes up, your respiration levels change, you begin to sweat, and you become unable to process your food because digestion shuts down. While moving or any type of physical action can slow or even stop the effects of stress, sitting at your desk or in the car simply causes all of the stress reactions in your body to continue. At some point, your body becomes so full of the stress reactions; you can't handle the simplest of daily tasks. This is the time to retreat from the everyday stress of life.

A good retreat doesn't have to mean vacation. It can simply mean finding a room in your house you enjoy and spending some quality time there. For many people, this room is their bathroom. While bathrooms used to be purely useful in nature, today's designs and accessories have changed the bathroom's image. One option for turning your bathroom into a stress relief center is to change your shower head. Some deliver water massages. Others create a steam room right in your bathroom. Additionally, most shower heads are now adjustable, which helps because people aren't all the same size. If you want a retreat, it's nice to finally have one that fits you as a person. Bath seats are also popular now. Because people work such long hours, most of them don't want to be on their feet any longer than they have to. With the proper sized shower head, it is possible to sit on a comfortable bath seat and enjoy your style without putting additional pressure on your feet.

In addition to changing the equipment like the shower head, there are a number of other easy fixes to make your bathroom the retreat you've always wanted. It is important to paint your bathroom walls a soft, soothing color. Pastels like pale lilac, soothing blue or gentle greens will make it seem like the perfect, comforting space. Oversized one hundred percent cotton towels with your preferred thickness will increase this experience. If you only use them when you need a bit of relaxation, they will maintain their size. Aromatherapy candles can also be helpful. You can get them in colors to match your walls, and the scent can be very soothing, as can the gentle, flickering light. Bath oils can add to the experience. You can make your own by combining your favorite essence oils, or you can purchase prepared scents that you enjoy. Add some music to your retreat by placing a media player away from the water source. Keep some relaxing music in the player, and you've got an instant soothe. If you plan to take a bath, draw it ten minutes before you want to get in. That will give the bathtub time to heat up. All of these simple changes to your bathroom will make it a great everyday retreat.

Another way to retreat from everyday life without even leaving is mediation. Mediation offers an inner retreat. Simple meditation can be undertaken wherever you happen to be at the time. You can even carry on your day-to-day tasks while being in a meditative state of mind. For meditation beginners, however, it is best if you practice mediation in a quiet place before you attempt to undertake it with distractions present. Begin by finding a place where you will not be disturbed. It works best if you sit on the floor, but you can do it anywhere you feel comfortable. Classic mediation takes place on the floor with a pillow. If you intend to mediate with your eyes closed, be sure there is enough light present in the room to keep you from sleeping. The whole intention of mediation is to examine your thoughts on a deeper level, and sleeping will interfere with that. The most basic thing to do to get started is nothing. Simply relax and do nothing. Become aware of your breathing and let your thoughts free you. Stop examining the world as a series of disconnected events and look at the entire things a connective circle. It is important with beginning mediation to avoid the use of mantras. They will only force you to lose your focus on yourself.

Stress is, at times, overwhelming. It is important to find everyday retreats that allow you to relax and let go of your worldly troubles.
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