The Art of Being Still

Hola!

I hope this finds everyone well! It's lunch time here at the job that pays the bills and while I typically work through lunch, I decided I want to write today (ok so I started this yesterday and it's now dinner time but whatever...).

While this blog is mostly about spas - it really is about health and wellness and how to fit it into your lifestyle. So today I'm disucssing how and why we need to be still.

A friend of mine said if I spend so much time tending to everyone else - what do I do for me? And who tends to me? Good question...for which I had no available answer lol (for shame I know - but it is what it is).

So after a week of working like a proverbial dog to graduate students (for those who don't know, my day job I tend to the money of an art school) my feet, back and everything else hurt after standing most of the day at graduation (congrats to the Class of 2011!).

I came home and prepared the quick rememdy I love best - a hot bubble bath, some vino, my Color Nook...and read. For three hours I turned off the TV, phone(yeah I still have a land line...),cell phone (ok so I didn't turn off the cell phone but it was in the charger and not in the bathroom lol) and didn't turn on my laptop at all. I can't tell you how long it's been since I've just chilled.

While reading - it occurred to me that it's been a minute since I was actually still - still enough to hear that little voice in my head that sends me on my next path. Still enough to hear that little voice that instructs me how and what I should be doing with my life. Still enough to hear...______________ YOU fill in the blank.

All too often we are all on auto-pilot taking care of all the needs in a day...work, children, spouses, bills, relationships - simply trying to juggle it all.

I hope men are reading this too as it's not just women that have these issues. I think I'll ask some male friends - how they are handling this issue and report back :)

Being still means being in a place that you can ultimately relax your mind, body, and spirit.

We are an ever increasingly techno-mobile society and as a result some of us are chained to mobile devices, laptops, games, etc....

There really is an ART to being still. This same friend suggests I'm addicted to my IPhone which I have to admit I am. So here's a suggestion - if you can't turn off the phone (I never do...) then put it down. Turn off anything that creates noise - at least temporarily and I bet there will still be noise in your head (no you're not crazy lol) for a little while. The goal is to rid the noise in your head. How many times have you stopped, turned off the TV, getting ready for bed and your mind is STILL racing? This is what I mean by being still. Getting rid of the racing - and thinking of NOTHING.

My big sister has always meditated - and frankly I've gone back to it. It is just one way to be still. It really is hard at first - yet there's a piece of mind that I have after meditating that I can't find anywhere else - even church. Church for me is a completely different piece of mind.

The point is - stillness is important. It allows us to achieve balance which is what we most want in our very busy lives. Am I making an assumption? Do you want/need balance?

I just finsihed reading Russell Simmons New Book "Super Rich" and I would encourage you to take a glance at it.

It also helps to rememember that sometimes we all need someone to talk to...and NO not always our friends. Friends serve a speacial place in our relationships - yet sometimes we need more.

So todays' spa I'm highlighting is a mental-health spa:

The Chiron Institute offers a holistic approach to therapy and I'm an advocate for therapy - particularly those services that don't treat clients with medications.

The benefits of therapy are many. I know...I know many of us don't think we have "those" types of problems , yet I will say that I truly believe therapy can and does work.

Some of the services offered include: Feng Shui, Reiki, Chakra Balancing, Foral Vibrations, and Pain Management.

For more information: http://www.chiron-institute.com
914-384-3905
email: Chirontherapy@Chiron-Institute.com

Find what helps you to be still- to think, to dream, to wonder, but most of all be you!

Ciao!