Caterpillar2Butterfly's Journal, 13 July 2016

I do Meditation and Pilates. I do enjoy a nice evening walk or sitting in the evening air. Do like reading or listening to music? 

One of the most healing things I have ever done is a program called, "Journey To The Wild Divine" www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWFOBbm3HQI 

Zoolander, Love Actually, About Time, 50 First Dates. Music: CCR, Journey (loud), Freddy Mercury, and one hit wonders Signs & Sunshine=>must sing along 

Love Actually..........Yep. I LOVE that movie.  

🎵Signs, signs, everywhere a sign, breaking up the scenery, wasting my mind🎵 🎵Sunshine, go away, today! I don't feel much like dancing. Some guy's trying, he's gonna run my life. He don't know what he's asking!🎵 

Getting outside, walking and hiking, swimming and boating in nature. Gardening. Feeling the breeze, listening to the birds. Having a campfire. Singing and playing music, playing with dogs and children, making art. Taking magnesium (a product called Calm) seems to be helping my sleep. 

Thanks for the suggestions, guys! My goal is to get to sleep by 10:00 (9:00 would be even better) each night. Tomorrow, I hope to get up in time to watch the sunrise & meditate, and take a walk before it gets too hot. The a.m. is the only quite time in sight until school starts back. In the afternoon, I will get in the pool with the kids and follow it up with grounding & soaking in some vitamin D. Going to try to find a nice family movie to watch with the kids in the evening. I've got to get more consistent in taking my magnesium. 

The most calming and centering thing I have ever done is making bread :) Something about the kneading process, working it with your hands pressing, turning until it reaches the perfect level of elasticity, waiting for it to rise, then deflating and kneading it again, shaping the loaves, waiting for the second rise, putting it in the oven and watching it brown. The only thing I can compare it to is sitting on the beach watching the waves rolling in. There is something relentless and eternal about the movement of the ocean, I get the same feeling from the process of making bread.....there is the drawback of what to do with it once you make it since I no longer eat it :) 

Still praying Jenny. Hope things get better. 

Unwinding...hmm, for me it's reading or working out to a nice music mix...for my better half it's Pilates...seems like there is something zen like when you're in the "zone". Take care Jen, hope your week goes well. 

Adult coloring books are very relaxing. Zentangles are fun too! 

When my kids were growing up we found and old time, black and white movie that we loved called the Court Jester. Maybe it's still around. They watched it over and over. 

go out into nature, walking meditations 

@C2B..........what time are you getting those labs done? It is best to have them done in the AM vs. PM. that's if the physician approves them. 

I have to agree with Sugar Waffle, walk. When I was going through a very hard time, lot's of stress, I put on my head phones and walked while listening to some of our tapes from the church we were going to and some great music. It REALLY helped. I have trouble walking on our dirt road (MS=bad balance) so now I walk from one end of the house to the other a set amount of times. Store walking is good too. 

Yoga and walking are great for balancing all things in life! 

@Kes...whewww, that's an expensive program! @Debra...I think missing my trip to the beach this week (on top of things) really through me for a loop. I have to find something more convenient. I have also completely missed all meditation this past week also. @Sean... thanks a lot! It's not just that. It's everyday reality, although that is what sent me overboard. @Erika... thanks for the suggestion. I will check it out. @Steven... thank you so much! Strength training used to help me a lot. I hope to be back full force soon. @Anabelee... thanks for the suggestion. I actually almost picked up one a few weeks ago. @Sugar...I agree that nature and walking are VERY effective. It's just so hot out there these days...lol. @Engeland... my appt is at 8 a.m., though I wonder if my cortisol isn't even higher in the evening...lol. @evietrem... funny you should mention something about church. I watched a little of "Soul of Healing Summit" this morning. One speaker there talked about "walking through the fire". I was repeatedly "church hurt" week after week by the pastor and his wife a few years ago, so much that when I think of church now I feel almost like the antichrist. I plan on attending a different church Sunday, and "walk through that fire". @mysize10... yoga will be a lot more convenient when school starts back. Trying to do yoga with the kids running wild is like brushing one brushing their teeth and chewing Oreos at the same time...lol. I've also noticed that my procrastination leads to a lot of uncalled for stressing. I've got to work on that. 

I just checked the prices....WOW! Have they gone up! I bought mine in 2003 when it first came out, and thought it was expensive at $79.95. LOL It took them almost 4 years to come out with the second one, and I got the discount for having been among the first to order, but it was still $99, without the hardware. I still use them, though, so a 13 year investment makes it worth it. 

Wow... so many super suggestions in one place! I go outside (with coffee ;) ) and watch birds. The baby tree swallows fledged a few days ago, about 30 of them, and they were so stinking happy to get out of their cramped nests that they were chipping, n chirping, flippin n flirting in pure joy! Put Star Wars to shame, they were so agile :) Sorry about your experience at church, folks can hurt and misunderstand. The Lord doesn't however, and He will supply the peace to your soul that you require. Blessings!