Who here loves feeling relaxed? (She raised her hand and said, “I do, I do!”) You know, that state of calm and ease that allows stress to slither out of you. There are so many ways to feel relaxed. Let’s explore this feeling and celebrate it!

When I feel relaxed, a gentle smile graces my face. My face turns soft and my posture relaxes. Doesn’t that just feel good? Sometimes my body feels light and tranquil and other times I like the feeling of gravity cradling me in a chair, bed, or other supporting structure. It depends on where I am and what I’m doing.

I imagine my body turning into a puddle of gelatinous goo when I think about what feeling relaxed looks like. (The pretty, colorful kind, not the gross kind.) Another image for me is laying upon the grass, consuming a juicy, good book. Or heck, I also imagine sitting in my living room with my eyes closed, listening to music.

My mind focuses on the present moment when I am aware of feeling relaxed. It is amazing to notice how clear my mind becomes when I allow myself to feel it. Even brief blips of relaxation help bring clarity to my thoughts — it’s a savory mini vacation that restores balance and purpose. It stimulates my creativity and helps to gain insight into specific challenges I might be having.

Take a moment with me. Picture what feeling relaxed is like for you. Give it a few seconds, or a couple minutes. Just feel relaxed. Isn’t that a nice emotion to have in your repertoire of emotions? The great thing about these emotion thingies, we can (and do) shift around in them all day long. Here’s to recognizing what it means to feel relaxed and having an understanding about it.

Emotions create color on the canvas of life…

If you would like to explore more feelings in the Stayin’ in Touch – Positive Emotions book, click here for more information.