[email protected]

I hope it's OK to ask this here. What do you do to nurture your spirit
during dark times? How, specifically, do you return to a calm center when
everything seems so out of control? I am interested in any ideas; books,
music, personal rituals. Anything you find meaningful.

Thanks!
Carol


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Jeff & Kate Kerr

****I hope it's OK to ask this here. What do you do to nurture your
spirit
during dark times? How, specifically, do you return to a calm center
when
everything seems so out of control? I am interested in any ideas;
books,
music, personal rituals. Anything you find meaningful.
Thanks!
Carol****

I was just wondering this myself the other day. Wondering what other
people did, not just during dark times, but all the time.

I have Friday evenings for myself (most of them), I go to my dad's
office (he's a Dr. with a huge reception area). Sometimes friends join
me, sometimes it's just me. I listen to music, visit with my friends
and we paint, sew (I keep an extra sewing machine there), work in the
darkroom, etc... I make cloth art dolls and spend quite a bit of that
time doing hand sewing.

My husband used to have a hard time with it, but he knows me better now
and understands that I need to have quiet time just for me (ok,
sometimes with friends). Without that time I can get really grumpy.

I also try to make it to the gym 3 days a week, the kids play in the
kids gym and I get a good workout. The other two days we take long
walks together.

This is how I calm myself, without it my life would feel like chaos (not
that it really is, I just like peace and quiet - and it isn't quiet here
most of the time - lol).

Kate
who's children are eating their ice cream and smearing it on themselves
while taking a bath.

ed hodgins

----- Original Message -----
From: <sognokids@...>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, February 16, 2003 7:42 PM
Subject: [Unschooling-dotcom] Unschooling your spirit


> I hope it's OK to ask this here. What do you do to nurture your spirit
> during dark times? How, specifically, do you return to a calm center when
> everything seems so out of control? I am interested in any ideas; books,
> music, personal rituals. Anything you find meaningful.
>
> Thanks!
> Carol
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
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>
>
> I enjoy playing music on my clarinet or keyboard. I also listen to may
types of music . Dancing around while cleaining. This can really help get
me motivated to get on with the day .Tickling the kids or horsing around.
Light candles and play classical music while kids play and just watch them.
Just pamper yourself with a facial or bath. A Walk taking in the nature
around you. I recently picked up a poetry collection but I cant remember the
name. I can check. I have found Tina Mc Bride an american country singer
song "I have Been Blessed" an inspiration when have hard time dealing with
been a mother and played it at the end of my wedding ceromony this summer.

Heidi Wordhouse-Dykema

>How, specifically, do you return to a calm center
>when
>everything seems so out of control? I am interested in any ideas;
>books,
>music, personal rituals. Anything you find meaningful.

When things get cranky or frazzled, I turn on the music and get a little
funky-thang goin' on. Dance around the kitchen, sing really loudly (and
off-key usually)... If I need to tune out the world for a while, I read a
book, usually sci-fi with a bit of lovin' in it.

When things are Really Frazzled, I used to do 'spa-things', but nowadays I
take off alone in my 4xtruck to our 'land' in the middle of
absolutely-nowhere and get some work done. Usually without the kids and
only one dog for some real decompression. Better than any spa I've ever
been to. Dig ditches, haul rocks and parts of trees, work on the culverts,
putter around a little more with the foundation/s... basically wear my
muscles right out, convert some adipose tissue to muscle, revel in the
silence (and it's tremendously silent out there in the middle of nowhere)
visit the trees to see who's fallen since I saw them last and stare at the
veritable cloud of stars from the outhouse (which lost its door in the last
big storm because I hadn't latched it properly.)

3 or 4 days of silence so full that you can hear the frogs 10 or 12 acres
away, and I'm ready for civilization again. Ah, sanity... Sigh.... now
you've got me itching to get back out there again!!!
Check it out:
http://www.dykema.net/simmerly/

Someday I'll have little cabins 'nooked' into the land so friends and other
homeschoolers can come and chill out too. ...part of the dream, anyway.
HeidiWD

Shyrley

> >How, specifically, do you return to a calm center
> >when
> >everything seems so out of control? I am interested in any ideas;
> >books,
> >music, personal rituals. Anything you find meaningful.

If I can't get out of the house I put on music - Pink Floyd, Marley, Bohinta, Eurythmics. Anything I can sing along too and dance too. It breaks up all the negaticity.
If I can escape (DH home) then I get on my bicycle and cycle 10-40 miles depending on how much time I've got. I always feel great after a ride.
Back home I would walk to the top of the Malvern Hills at top speed and scream. They are so beautiful and the view is spectacular that its impossible to remain frazzled. Boy do I miss my hills.

Shyrley who can't get out the house cos of the snow