Last week I enjoyed a week out in Suffolk away from all the ordinary responsibilities of adulting. Time out has never been an optional extra but with age, it becomes increasingly essential to maintaining our physical, mental and spiritual wellbeing.
The simple act of changing the scenery that surrounds us can reawaken our senses to what we may have ceased to notice in the busyness of life.
As much as time out in the greenery of nature recharges my battery, so too does the blue (or sometimes brown!) vast open space of the sea. The sight and sound of the sea allows me to breathe deeply. And when the sun occasionally graces us with its presence, I find the twinkling stars that dance upon the waves to be utterly mesmerising.
It is these simple pleasures that can allow us to stop, see, hear, feel and fully come back to an embodied experience. They allow the brain to take a break from relentless thinking and the body to reconnect to all that gives it a sense of aliveness.
Every time I wander aimlessly on a stony beach, free from the demands of daily life, I can lose hours drinking it all in. The more I look at those stones, the more beautiful they each become. Every stone is so utterly unique while wearing the effects of their own experience of life and the elements. Some are nestled against others or within great clusters, where others sit alone. I always find myself reflecting on the parallels with us humans!
Anyway, as I don’t base my enjoyment of an English ‘summer’ holiday on the presence of the sunshine, I chose an Air b n b room with a stunning view. While I didn’t have the level of birdsong I have at home, there was a perch outside the window that some pigeons used to perform quite a show! There was some making of love and war!
In addition, I was able to immerse myself in looking at all the beautiful things on offer at Snape Maltings. This is something I love to do when the sun is not shining. And as my partner would have hated it and looked as miserable as the various men sat on chairs throughout these shops, I was thrilled to do this before he joined me! I wouldn’t want to subject him to that!
Anyway, as we reach middle age and beyond, the issue of maintaining these aging systems becomes increasingly important. The signs of wear/tear and maybe blatant abuse become less ignorable! And a break from the norm with time out from ‘to-do-ing’, can help to refresh mind and body.