Recharge & Renew You This Spring

Springtime is a Great Time to Recharge & Renew

 

The flowers are blooming in Sonoma County, the beach is beautiful, and we are finally having some consistent sunny days, so thankful! Just as spring is a time that nature renews itself, it’s also a great reminder to us to take time to recharge and renew our mind and spirits!

Last month we mainly talked about ways to renew your home and outdoor area and not so much about personal recharging and renewing ourselves after a tough winter. It’s time to take a hint from nature and do some selfcare and have some fun doing it.

We are going to share some ideas today that are easy, accessible, and don’t take a bunch of time but these small tasks can help you recharge and give you a sense of renewal. Self-renewal is very important because our bodies and spirit need to be replenished on a regular basis or we can find ourselves feeling run down and tired.

 

Reaching Out to Friends

Community is very important and close friends feed our spirit in so many ways. During COVID many of us found that friendships waned because it was challenging to get together in person and many of us are now reaching out again to friends. It’s easy to be so busy with family, career, and all the day-to-day tasks that friends can end up dropping off our list.

Also, during COVID a number of people moved, so you might find that your circle of friends has shrunk over the last few years. Recently there are a number of us that have started reaching out on a monthly basis to people we haven’t talked to in a while but over the years counted as good friends.  Even if you don’t reach them in person, leaving an uplifting phone message or sending them an uplifting text message can break the ice again and renew a what seemed like a dormant friendship.

 

Learn a New Skill or Hobby

Learning a new skill or hobby can be a solo adventure into trying something new or you can get a friend or two involved in learning the new skill or hobby together. The list is really endless and could be anything from learning Italian to trying sourdough baking for the first time.

A group of friends recently got together because none of them knew how to knit but always wanted to learn. Through mutual friends they were able to find a friend that was a skilled knitter and she gave them a list of supplies to buy and everyone got together for the evening and learned how to begin to knit. Now that same group of friends gets together once a month to knit together and encourage each other to take on new projects.

Learning new skills helps both our brains and spirit plus in the process we learn something new and maybe have shared that learning experience with friends or family.

 

Try Tai Chi, Yoga or Qigong

Exercise is good for everyone and can be scaled to just about anybody’s skill or fitness level. I have friends this spring that are trying wall Pilates and many are giving Qigong a try. Yoga is great for flexibility and both Tai Chi and Qigong help invigorate Chi energy. Exercise can be convenient and doesn’t need to be hours of time.

Tai Chi, yoga, and qigong are all very portable and can even be done in a chair. None of these types of exercise take a lot of equipment and can be fit in any time of day when you have 10 minutes to move your body! I belong to an online group started by friends that has many forms of exercise, growth work, personal empowerment, health classes, and more, but tai chi, yoga, or qigong classes are all on YouTube and many of the routines are only 15 minutes, making it easy to fit into your busy day and a way to take a few minutes to renew.

 

Set Up a Meditation Area in Your Garden

You can meditate anywhere, but over the next few months and into much of fall we have the most amazing weather in Sonoma County and it lends itself to outdoor activities.  There is something about meditating outside that makes the activity enjoyable and more relaxing. I have a friend that teaches for Spirit Rock that only teaches meditation out in nature because he believes that being out in nature helps you ground and enhances the meditation process.

So, find that place in your yard where you have a little privacy or make some privacy and then find an outdoor chair, meditation chair, or bench that fits your body and relaxes you. I found a wicker oversized chair with ottoman that I ordered and put together last year on my deck that provides a sheltered place to meditate and renew my spirit. Also, meditation doesn’t need to be a commitment of a 30-minute time block, many people find that even 10 minutes following their breath brings a sense of calm and renewal.

 

Try New Recipes-Maybe Smoothies

Mindful eating helps us be healthy and slows down our life. I’ve started trying a new recipe a week, which is so easy to do given the vast resource of great recipes on the internet. But, it’s also fun to create your own recipes and no they are not all home runs, but it lets you use your creativity and use up foods in both your refrigerator and pantry.

I enjoy smoothies, but some people look upon them as tasteless concoctions they need to down to be healthy. Smoothies can be so delicious and healthy for you. Smoothies are good any time of day but especially for breakfast and even for dinner if you would like to lose some weight. It’s possible to combine both fruits and vegetables you would never eat together into a great tasting smoothie. If you want to up the nutrition equation just add powdered greens and/or powdered protein to make a smoothie that fills your tummy and is also really great for your body!

 

Give Yourself Spa Time

You can always head for the spa, but that takes a commitment of time and money. I’m suggesting setting up spa time at home. Invest in some great facial mask products, a massage oil that you love, a great sugar scrub, essential oils for the tub, and some yummy body butter. This way instead of a one-time experience you’ve taken probably less money to be able to give yourself a couple hour spa day anytime you want.

Everyone is unique and its fun finding products that make you feel nurtured and care for to have on hand whenever you need a dose of self-nurturing and care to feel recharged and renewed. Also, check out Nidra Yoga to do after doing your spa day, it’s a form of yogic sleep or effortless relaxation. Nidra yoga help you slow down and chill out and can be done in just a few minutes a day. Nidra yoga is like a full nervous system massage and reset!

 

Create a Hammock Haven

There is nothing like a hammock to lull you into a relaxed place. Hammocks are great for a quick nap, reading a book, or just watching nature in all its beauty this spring. You don’t need a couple of trees to stretch a hammock between since there are so many great hammock stands. If lying down isn’t your thing, there are some great hammock chairs to relax and renew in as well. Giving yourself time to unplug and take a few minutes to quiet your mind in nature can do wonders for your outlook and energy. It’s why when you go on a meditation retreat time seems to expand. On retreat you have the same 24-hours, it’s when we slow down and become mindful that time seems to expand and our nervous system relaxes also.

If you want to create more time in your day to enjoy what you love instead of cleaning your home, give us a call at Crystal Clear Home 707-827-3316 or fill out our Free Quote Form and one of our cleaning professionals will call you back promptly and answer your questions.