Yawn, just yawn. This retreat is for relaxation. The complete
instructions are "yawn, just yawn." Yawning increases the amount of
oxygen in your system. For politeness' sake, you may want to excuse
yourself to find a private place to yawn and get in a great big stretch.
Faith in yourself. The fastest, most effective way to give
yourself a confidence boost at any point during the day is to use this
"Structural Awareness" technique. Structural Awareness is a series of
movement lessons based on rolfing, a system of deep massages founded by
Ida P. Rolf. You can do this retreat sitting, standing or even walking.
Simply imagine that when you inhale, the breath goes straight up
through your torso and out through the top of your head. As you inhale,
feel your rib cage expand and lift. This slight shift in posture will
give you the confidence to have faith in yourself.
Let go. This is a retreat for patience. When you feel yourself
becoming impatient with a situation or a person, notice how you're
trying to control to achieve a certain outcome. Take a deep breath and
gently exhale through your mouth as if you were blowing out a candle.
The exhale should be slightly longer than the inhale. As you exhale,
let go of your expectations. Exhale and again let go of any
expectations.
"Probably the most important retreat we can do while we're at work is simply to stop and take a breath," Harris says.
Healing eyes. This retreat is designed to help you relax and
heal any tensions in your eyes. At your desk, in front of the computer
or while reading, pause to give your eyes a rest. Simply rub the palms
of your hands together in a vigorous fashion to generate energy and
heat. Then quickly place your hands over each eye socket so that your
eyes are at the centers of your palms. Let your eyes relax in this warm
darkness for the full minute. You can experiment with keeping eyes open
or closed.
Look for babies. Smile at babies. Babies are everywhere,
especially if you frequent department stores and supermarkets. Look for
them. Some will be asleep, others momentarily fussy. And some will be
joyous and happy to share their joy with you. It's a blessing to make
eye contact and smile at them. It's almost as if you share a secret in
that split second of connection. This secret has to do with the miracle
of birth and the joy of being alive.
Thank you. This retreat is much like the theory that to
"practice random acts of kindness" is to help make the world a better
place. Saying "thank you" is a simple approach to gratitude, Harris
says. Simply say "thank you" consciously and from the heart whenever
the opportunity arises. You'll be surprised how total strangers will
respond differently to these words when they are spoken consciously
with real meaning.
Bedtime wish. The moment just before you fall asleep is an
important threshold in consciousness, says Harris. It's a good time to
visualize your goals, review your day, plan your next day or request a
special dream. This hypnagogic state, as it's called, is a moment when
the veil is thinner between the material world and the unseen world,
between the day dream world and the night dream world. Use this moment
to think of something you'd like to do for yourself the next day. Give
yourself permission to be intentionally "selfish." Remember, there is
such a thing as healthy selfishness. Think of one thing just for you.
