Labor Day Weekend

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It's a lazy Sunday afternoon. The cats are asleep in the shade on the patio, and I've been flirting with the idea of a nap all afternoon. A little TV, a little reading, a little cooking. It's remarkably easy to entertain myself, and I hope to spend MOST of tomorrow completely "unplugged," disconnected from phones and computers. That will be a big change for me. I'm not sure I can do it.

The value of a long weekend is in being able to rest and relax. It's also an opportunity to have a change from routine: perhaps you sleep in, or get up earlier than usual for a special activity. A movie, a cook-out, a little trip or a chance to stay home -- any change in your habitual pattern can re-charge your energies. Your nervous system benefits enormously from these regular, but not too frequent, interruptions in the usual routine.

People often remark after their first Feldenkrais class that it wasn't what they expected. Yet, they don't say this with disappointment. They are curious, interested, and surprised at how easy, fun, and unusual it was. They are also fascinated to discover some new sensation, or ability, or capacity that they didn't know they had. The class provides the same benefits of a long weekend, but in condensed form. The break from routine, the discovery of the unexpected, the enjoyment of something different, keeps your body and your brain in shape, ready for the next challenge.

I hear the gentle rumble of thunder in the distance, and it's beginning to rain softly, a rain we really need. Maybe I'll take that nap after all. . .