I went to my sweetie’s parent’s home yesterday afternoon for a visit. Truth be told, we’d been on the driving range hitting balls in the cold (golf is an outdoor sport, right?) and when we arrived a bit early for dinner, his mom whisked me off and before I knew it, I was soaking in their big jacuzzi bathtub. She’s a real sweetheart and her motherly advise to “soak in a hot tub” sounded like the perfect post-cold-golf medicine. And boy, was it. I honestly can say it’s been years since I have taken a bath (my condo only has a shower) and I could have easily fallen asleep in the tub. I lingered for about 20 minutes and when I got out and we relaxed over dinner, I must say I have never felt better.
It got me thinking as I was teaching this morning and was relaying this sentiment how many things are accessible to us where the payoff is huge and we can feel so much better but the effort we need to expend is pretty small. Taking a bath, walking outside, hugging a dog, spending time with a child. Taking a yoga class, going for a run, doing any kind of exercise. Reading a good book, taking a deep breath, sitting in stillness for 10 minutes with your eyes closed. These things are natural medicine for your body. You don’t have to take a pill, buy a lot of equipment and it’s not complicated. But yet, we always try to make life so complex and we never take the time to do the things that would allow us to feel great.
If you have a tub, take a bath. If you don’t, take a minute and think about what makes you feel good. Then, do it.