Chill out – What is your idea of relaxation?

When I just want to chill out or relax, I find peace in soothing music – instrumental, pop or bollywood . I sometimes also grab a book and read. A weekend getaway is also one of my favourite ideas to rest and rejuvenate. On such trips, I try to travel with bare minimum luggage and I try to avoid phone calls or mails.

On a recent trip to Bintan, we enjoyed a traditional Indonesian massage followed by sauna and jacuzzi. It was really invigorating.

Closer to home, I enjoy light exercise like jogging or cycling which are great for stress relief. Playing a musical instrument also takes your mind off mundane chores. I have been learning to play the Indian classical violin for the past 2 years.

I have also been following a routing of waking up early in the morning for prayer and meditation. This time of the day when it is dawn is ideal as there is solitude and peace.This helps me to remain focused on my work and also to keep my thoughts positive.

I also like to take pictures of the clouds, the skies, sunrises and sunsets.

Occasionally, I would play a board game with my child or spend some time with her.

On my table is a drawing block which I use to jot down ideas or anything to remember. I also write down a poem when I am inspired. Sometimes, I just sketch and colour.

During the weekend, I enjoy an afternoon siesta for atleast 2 hours-this is something very refreshing.

How do you find ways to relax? Let me know how you chill out

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Rhyme and reason

School, office, homework, business
Projects, shopping, cooking and chores
Bogged down with the daily grind
Our lives are like one big race

Lugging overloaded school bags
A child brings home more work
Is there a time for fun and games
When lost in this timeless maze?

Caged behind office cubicles
Targets and timelines
Deals and telephone calls
The blood pressure builds

Sandwiches, noodles or pancakes
What would you like to have today?
Have you thought of your housewife?
Who cares for you like a trained waiter

Bulls and bears
Stocks and Indices
It is the economy stupid
Giving you those nightmares

Add some rhyme and reason
Replace logic with intuition
Clear that mental clutter
Add balance to your life

Spill some colour
Pen a verse
Play a game
Listen to music

An artist is a breath of fresh air
Revelling in creative freedom
Letting loose enchanting melody
The song of his soul

© copyright skm, 4th April 2012

 

Life is…

Sometimes I wonder , Is life…

A riddle?
and ponder on the purpose
of our existence

A journey?
all taking different paths
that lead to the same destination

A dream?
of fear, of success, of bliss
Until I wake up and it is over

A game?
played with team-spirit
sometimes we win, sometimes we lose

A drama?
We are actors in the unfolding scene
Playing our parts until the curtains fall

Music?
That sounds divine when played in harmony
To our inner voice

Poetry?
words that eulogise
the wonders  of nature that never cease

A thought?
that takes birth as a seed in the mind
and manifests as reality

A wave?
We will be tossed about unless
we learn to ride the ebb and flow

This moment?
in time which will fleet  by
Unless we are immersed  in it

 

© copyright skm,  April 5th, 2011

If music be the food of love, play on …

If music be the food of love, play on,
Give me excess of it; that surfeiting,
The appetite may sicken, and so die.

William Shakespeare, Twelfth Night Act 1, scene 1, 1-3

Our minds are nowadays so full of logical thinking.  Right from the morning hours when we wake up to the end of the day we get lost in our preoccupations.  The mind is subjected to routine tasks of brushing teeth, having a shower, packing up, ironing clothes etc.  Then when do we get the time to relax our nerves, stretch a leg and have fun?

We are used to performing left brain activities everyday.  So, we need a creative outlet to express ourselves .  This can be done by engaging in right brain activities.  We can do this through art, music, and fun outdoor activities or evening watching a cartoon with your kid.

I found that I have been performing less right brain activities and since last year I started taking part in activities that I have never thought of doing earlier.  I took up  Indian classical violin lessons.  Then I started taking an active part in Toastmasters which gives you an avenue to communicate on topics which are outside the realm of office or business life.  I also indulge in poetry writing more often, biking, inline skating and occasionally run a marathon.

Music is a great stress reliever.  When you play music or sing a song with all your heart it is a great avenue to pour out from the innermost recesses of your heart.  A soulful rendition also wins everyones hearts.  Most of all, it makes us feel light and relaxed.  Music is a form of meditation and has been recommended as a remedy for stress-related illnesses.  Music can promote concentration, alertness and it stimulates our brain.

Plato so wisely said, “Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and life to everything.”

Love is in the air

When there is music in the wind
And butterflies flirt with flowers
When time comes to standstill
Then I know love is in the air

When blades of grass dance
And dew drops glisten on leaves
When birds sing in chorus
Then I know love is in the air

 

 

When there is radiance in the moons glow
And  magic in the stars twinkle
When clouds pour ethereal rain
Then I know love is in the air

When there is a spring in your step
And a smile on your face
When you are at a loss for words
Then I know love is in the air

When two hearts beat as one
And tears and laughter play
The divine song of the soul
Then I know love is in the air

© copyright skm February 11th, 2011

A Sunday Morning

A Sunday Morning

The first rays of the sun outline the clouds
Breaking the dark of the night
The struggle has passed
Dawn has broken the spell

Snuggled up in bed
Tired bodies are oblivious of time
People jog on the pavement
Enjoying the sights and sounds of nature

With slow, graceful movements
A group practices Tai-chi in the park
A vendor unloads fresh vegetables
Outside the wet market

Little feet move in unison
To the dance teachers song
The streets are deserted
The shutters are drawn

The faithful clock looks forlorn
The newspaper vendor is late
The street-side hawker is asleep
Nobody pays heed on a Sunday morning

No office rush, no traffic jams
No school and no routines
A time to holiday and to picnic
For music class and sunbathing

A break from the order
When the world is laid back
All rules are broken
Peace reigns supreme on a Sunday morning

©copyright 9th August 2010 skm

25 simple things that interest me

1. Watching a sunset
2. Taking a stroll in the park
3. Flying a kite on a windy day
4. Taking a nap on a Saturday afternoon
5. Building a sand castle on the beach
6. Inline skating in a park or beach side
7. Playing board games with my daughter
8. Swimming
9. Waking up early in the morning
10. Doing yoga in the morning
11. Going for a jog
12. Reading a good book
13. Listening to good music
14. Watching a movie with family
15. Spending time with family
16. Watching the fish swim in the aquarium
17. Going on a holiday
18. Enjoying the sights and sounds of a new country
19. Tweeting/blogging
20. Being with family, friends and relatives
21. Volunteering for the needy and disadvantaged
22. Starting something on my own – entrepreneurship
23. Speaking with confidence – toastmasters
24. Learning something new
25. Group activities, outings, experiential learning, trekking, biking, marathon etc.