Warm Socks on a Cold Night
For me, there’s nothing more comforting than a pair of warm socks, just out of the dryer, on a cold night. In fact, if I keep my feet warm, I can survive just about anything, even the darkest, most arctic night.
And so it is now. Chilled by current world events, I am searching for warm socks. It’s not just that cold feet are uncomfortable; it’s that they keep me from dancing through life.
Recently, in order to avoid either podiatry or psychiatry (I am not sure which) I polled my friends and associates. What, I wanted to know, calms, soothes, and comforts them in today’s changing world climate?
As Kate Potter, Chair of the Board of Directors of the Carl G. Jung Center in Brunswick, Maine, says, “What nurtures the anxious self within?”
Fur Therapy. Ed Knox, a retired college professor, suggests purr therapy. “I pet my cat. My cat likes it. He purrs. It soothes me.” So cuddle up with your cat or pet your puppy.
Breathe In. Breathe Out. “Watch your breath,” says Kate Potter. “I pay attention to my in and out breath,” she says. “I breathe in love, peace, and harmony. When I breathe out, I let go of all toxins such as worry.”
Flower Power. Power your happiness with fresh flowers. Tamesin Fleenor, a devotee’ of the book, The Artist’s Way, takes herself on an artist’s date once a week.
Last week Tamesin treated herself to twenty-five dollars worth of fresh flowers from the grocery store, Shop and Save. It was an armload, she says. “I was able to make two huge bouquets. Everywhere I looked in my home, I saw flowers. It made me smile.”
Dig in the Dirt. Or hug a tree. Gardening and yard work seem to comfort both men and women. Lauralyn, a vivacious young mother, says her husband spent eight hours working in the yard after he saw disturbing world news on television.
Another way to ground yourself is to sit in your yard with your back to a tree and place your feet firmly in front of you. Imagine that the life-force from the earth is surging up through your feet into your body, calming and balancing you.
