relaxation Archives - The Swirl World

#31| Rest and Rejuvenate

January 31, 2015 By Michelle Matthews-Calloway Leave a Comment

If you’re anything like me, the weekend is a time to get caught up on projects and get some uninterrupted work done.

That’s all well and good, and yes, staying on your grind or working that side hustle is important.

Yet, with five days of work and more work on the weekend, when do we rest and rejuvenate?

This weekend, let’s employ the wisdom of a baby and get some rest – no, some sleep. Our bodies and minds can be renewed, and we can get back to business with renewed fervor.

Z z z z z z z z z z . . . . . . .

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How to Have a Quiet Moment

March 30, 2013 By Michelle Matthews-Calloway Leave a Comment

When we were little kids, my Mother developed a little practice that she still uses to this day. Whenever she felt the need to have some space (in hindsight, I kinda think she’d do this whenever she just wanted a nap), she would go to her bedroom and close the door. Just before she closed the door, she’d tell us: “Ok; I’m having my quiet moment.”

My two brothers and I knew and understood exactly what “I’m having my quiet moment” meant. Unless the house was burning down or one of us was bleeding, Mother was not to be disturbed. It also meant that we needed to keep our voices down – or better yet, go find a book to read.

March has been a very eventful month – in a good way – so today, I’m having a quiet moment. I’m sitting outside soaking up the sunshine, enjoying the Spring breeze, and relishing the stillness. My mind is clear; my body and spirit are refreshed.

So, you wanna know how to have a Quiet Moment?

Retreat to your “peaceful place.” That place can be your bedroom, front porch, deck – any place where you can enjoy some uninterrupted time.
Take some deep breaths, refocus, and re-center. Shut down any clamorous thoughts, and shut out any “duty oriented” thoughts that try to creep in. The goal is to clear your mind – the same way you would take a broom and sweep away leaves.
If you’re outside, enjoy the elements: The feel of the warm sun against your skin, the delightfulness of the cool air, the sounds of nature. Remember, you’re having a Quiet Moment – so luxuriate and enjoy those things you normally wouldn’t even notice.
If you’re inside, turn off the television or radio. Refuse to allow yourself to be distracted. Get in tune with you, and release everything else.

Today I’m fortunate enough to have the time off and on all day to enjoy some quiet moments, and I’m taking full advantage of them.

On April 1, I’m planning to post a recap of the events that made March such an awesome month. Rosetta Thurman, blog mistress over at Happy Black Woman, inspired me with her advocacy and example of engaging in a reflection of each month of a year. At the end of the year, you’re able to look back and reflect on the entire year

Even though January and February were a bit of a blur, I captured January because I blogged every day. I blogged every week in February (and made sure to keep up with my journal) so I have that month as well. March is going to mark my “official” start of reflecting on my months, so stay tuned for that post on Monday morning.

I believe I’m going to take BlogHer’s April NaBloPoMo challenge for April, which means I’ll be blogging every day (obviously I’m a glutton for punishment).

I’m so excited and grateful for the things happening in my life – I can’t wait to see what April holds!

Join in the Fray: How do you have a Quiet Moment?

The Best Way to Fly Solo

February 26, 2013 By Michelle Matthews-Calloway 3 Comments

Some of you may not know it, but I’m a licensed massage therapist.

(Pauses to listen to the sound of my personal stock going up; pats self on back).

I’m a licensed massage therapist and I have the great fortune to teach continuing education classes at the University of Louisiana. My class is called “Couples Massage for Fun and Relaxation.”

This past Thursday I had the pleasure of teaching my class. I had been informed a week prior by the class administrators that, per my approval, my class was going to have an odd number.

Hold up . . . an odd number of attendees???

That meant someone who signed up for the class was Flying Solo.

Flying Solo? In a Couples Massage class??? Who was this brave soul???

Needless to say, I was intrigued. I gave my approval, and informed the class administrator that the Soloist just needed to agree to be my partner.

Fast forward to class night and, lo and behold, I didn’t just have one Soloist, I had two.

And both of them were men.

(Go ahead and faint from the shock. I’ll wait).

Yes, indeed. These two guys had signed up for the class, sans a female (or male) partner. They were taking a Couples Massage, and they were flying solo.

Turns out Jack and Robert* had decided that even though they weren’t currently attached, they wanted to be prepared for when they did have a significant other.

So, along with the six other couples in the class, Jack (the younger, very cute White dude) and Robert (the older, very handsome White dude) learned the five basic massage strokes and had a blast. They also enjoyed the pleasure of serving as the class guinea pigs – and treated to two hours of constant back, shoulder, neck, scalp, and face massages by Yours Truly.

The moral of the story?

The best way to fly solo is to go in, be fearless, and exceed your objectives!

Here’s how Jack and Robert accomplished it:

They refused to allow the “Couples” designation stop them from signing up
They refused to give in to the fear of the unknown
They refused to be embarrassed by arriving solo
They focused on what they had (a desire to enhance their skills) instead of on what they didn’t have (a girlfriend)
They maintained a healthy, optimistic perspective on their future relationships
They took proactive steps to be prepared
They were determined to have fun

Yes, I know that single women have been encouraged to venture out Solo. We’re encouraged to dine out alone, go to the movies alone, travel, etc. We’re told, Live your best life now! Don’t wait for a partner!

I cosign and practice all of that, and thankfully I enjoy my own company. What’s refreshing to me is the fact that Jack and Robert held such an optimistic view of their dating lives, and demonstrated fearlessness when it came to preparing.

And you know what? The other members of the class didn’t make fun of Jack and Rob – they applauded them. The husbands gave them knowing looks and shout outs of approval, and the ladies made sure to give them compliments and encouragement.

Jack (the younger guy) paid close attention to everything I said, to make sure he was doing everything correctly. Rob (the older guy) asked lots of questions and wanted to know all the variations of each of the strokes.

(Cough, cough. Anybody catch what I just said? Moving right along . . . . )

I’ve been talking about taking a Zydeco dancing class. I’m so inspired by Jack and Rob, I’ve decided to just do what they did: Sign up, partner or not.

I even mentioned my intentions in class, and guess what? Jack was already signed up – again, Flying Solo! He immediately offered to be my partner (tee hee hee!) and used his iPhone to look up the class on the spot.

Alas, Jack’s class was already full (darn it!).

But guess who asked for my number – and guess who’s signed up for the next one?

Join in the Fray: How well do you Fly Solo?

What I Want You to Do

December 25, 2012 By Michelle Matthews-Calloway 2 Comments

I want you to enjoy this thing we call the holidays.

Regardless of your form of celebration, please do get some rest. Spend some quality time with the people you love the most – and spend some quality time with you.

Enjoy your meal(s), and try to not over-indulge. (I know, right? I did say try.) Since we had such a huge meal for Thanksgiving, the Christmas Dinner Planners (a committee consisting of my cousin Janelle, my aunt Doe, and me) decided to scale back on the offerings for Christmas dinner. This year we’re dining on Creole jambalaya, Southern fried chicken, green bean casserole. various salads, and multiple desserts.

I’m doing something special: I’m making Cajun crackers!

It’s too late for you to try them in time for Christmas (this photo is from Day 1), but here’s the recipe so you can have them with your New Year’s meal:

Recipe:

1 large pickle jar (or other wide-mouth jar. You can also use an extra-large Ziplock bag if you don’t have a jar).

1 box Saltine crackers

1 cup canola oil

1 package ranch dressing mix

2 heaping tablespoons red pepper flakes

Place the 4 packs of Saltines in the jar or Ziplock bag.

Mix the wet/dry ingredients together and stir well.

Pour the mixture over the crackers and seal the jar.

For the next three days, occasionally roll the jar (or carefully flip the Ziplock bag).

Open the jar on the third day and serve. These taste great plain, with cream cheese, or with pepper jelly.

Merry Christmas, people. Have fun today!

Join in the Fray: How are you celebrating today?

How to Be a Rock Star in 5 Easy Steps

November 9, 2012 By Michelle Matthews-Calloway Leave a Comment

So, you wanna be a Rock Star?

You don’t have to sing like the Beatles or rock out like Steven Tyler – all ya gotta do is learn the 5 basic massage strokes!

Last night I had the privilege of teaching a continuing education class entitled “Couple’s Massage for Fun & Relaxation.” In this class, couples learn the 5 foundation strokes of Swedish massage. I spent two hours filled with laughter (and some hilarious double entendres) as couples tried the strokes on each other.

They don’t lie on tables for this class. Instead, they straddle chairs and work on each other’s backs and necks. I even throw in some scalp and face massage for good measure, and each couple leaves with a “starter bottle” of massage oil.

These are the 5 basic strokes:

Effleurage
Petrissage
Friction
Vibration
Tapotment

I won’t bore you with the gory details of what these terms mean. Instead, you can check out this video for a visual demonstration and some ideas:

Couples come away from the class with a decent introductory knowledge of how to use the 5 strokes to add a little fun, some relaxation, and a lot of spice to their relationship.

Mark my words, if you learn how to do these 5 steps and do them well, I can pretty much guarantee you that you’ll be a rock star.

What are you waiting for??? Get ta strokin’ – and rock it out!

Join in the Fray: Which of the strokes in the video do you think you’d like the most? The least?

I’m blogging every day in the month of November as a participant in NaBloPoMo. Thanks for reading and feel free to comment!

#31| Rest and Rejuvenate

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How to Have a Quiet Moment

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The Best Way to Fly Solo

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What I Want You to Do

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How to Be a Rock Star in 5 Easy Steps

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