Just Relax!

Relaxing is something I have lots of trouble with. I always want to relax but very often, I don't think I reach that state.

On a whim, I booked myself in for a facial this afternoon. I haven't had my faced professionally cleaned in nearly two years and I really needed it! It was one hour of lying down, listening to some new-age type music and having somebody repeatedly clean, exfoliate and massage my face. It was peaceful in there and I might even have forgotten that I am a frazzled mother in real life.

Strangely, I felt as if my body was rejecting all the relaxation. I'd be lying there, thinking of how peaceful I was feeling when I would suddenly notice that all my fingers and toes were tense and some pointing at strange angles. It was weird. I'd relax them only to find that after awhile, my knees were locked tight. This went on the entire time. I tried to quiet my mind as well but that was even harder. The more I tried, the more it seemed to have things to think about. Maybe its a combination of a lack of practice at relaxing and enjoying calmness as well as the brain thinking that its finally got some bandwith to do some thinking that doesn't involve firefighting situations with Aaron and Adrian.

One of the things that crossed my mind was that after I had quit my job and before I became a mother, I had lots of time to myself. However, back then, I felt that I must not relax because that would be lazy and I would be wasting all the time that I had. Silly me! I should have been practicing back then. Look whats happened now, I rarely get any time to myself and when I do, I don't know how to use it to relax.

In the end, whether I was relaxed or not, I did have a great (waking) one hour of not moving, not speaking and not needing to listen. I should do this again some time....need the practice.

Foot Reflexology for USD4.40

Richard ended up working a full day today but it didn't stop me from proceeding with what we had planned; Foot Reflexology. I had expected the place to be deserted, as it was last week when we went for our Neck/Shoulder massages, but it was FULL. I took the last recliner. You get these extremely comfortable 'leather' recliners to lounge on while they work on your feet.

I wouldn't say that the 60mins were 'relaxing' since the purpose of reflexology is for general health and involved kneading my skinny toes repeatedly with toughened knuckles. While I asked for a gentle session, the two middle aged men next to me were wincing in pain. Supposedly, it will hurt when they knead the part of your foot corresponding to whatever part of your body with a problem. I only felt some slight discomfort on the forth toes so either my face or my sinuses have some secret issues that I don't know about.

All in all, it was a good experience but I preferred the Neck/Shoulder massages that we got last week.