Healing Presence, Transforming Daily Living

May 20, 2014 — daily practice, healing, health, retreat

Do you know places, people, or even things that have a healthy, restorative feeling for you? Some spots have been used as healing centers for centuries, acquiring a reputation and a following.  Sometimes a professional office space or treatment room can resonate with peace and calm.  Waterfalls are typical places that we imagine when we are seeking a retreat from stress and pain in daily life.  Some of us reserve space in our homes dedicated to meditation, contemplation, or exercise.  Altars at home are reminders of practice, devotion, and connections to spiritual beliefs.  I have always been a big fan of visiting hot mineral springs to center my attention on nature and soul.  Submersion is both literal and symbolic in healing waters.

I have gone to great lengths and spent a pretty penny to be in healing waters, treated by gifted therapists, relaxing in spectacular places in nature.  The concept of healing travel, or wellness retreat must involve a capture of that serenity or wholeness to bring back to the daily practice.  Perhaps in calm circumstances one can master a new meditation technique or discover new ways to practice.  Maybe while the agenda is clean and clear one can let go of emotional and physical clutter that has daily life fully jammed.  Travel to a different location does not guarantee a retreat or a lifestyle change.  It is possible, and maybe even preferable, to turn normal living into a health reforming adventure.  Finding calm, creating depth, and mastering the art of stress reduction can be practices we include in our routine.

To enter a new lifestyle, a healthier diet plan, a new willingness to live happily, we need to feel confidence. What are ways you establish a meditative, healthy, confident mood?  Here are some ways I have tried that work for me:

• Set practice time and place for contemplation/meditation
• Move the body to stay flexible and strong
• Chalenge the coordination in new ways
• Find activities that bring personal satisfaction without need for pubic praise
• Spend some time enriching the community in which you live
• Look beyond the obvious
• Find symbols, synchronicity, and soul by tuning into them

Don’t wait for your vacation days to move into your personal health retreat mansion.  Pick up the keys and live in your own healing presence.  Build your confidence while you enhance your surroundings for a healthier, happier outlook.