Aspire Magazine: Inspiration for a Woman's Soul.(TM) August/September 2015 Unleashing Your Magnificence | Page 69

exercise, and recreation. Rejuvenating and revitalizing play, rest, and laughter is essential to wellness. The down side of this ‘all work and no play attitude,’ is that we miss out on the lifeenhancing benefits of leisure. Many of us have been so busy “doing,” that we’ve forgotten how to relax. Play is seen as childish and silly. Fun is an abstract concept. When we get some free time, we often don’t know what to do with it–it is uncomfortable not to be busy. So we either spend our time in “busy work,” or, at the other extreme, we shut down, silencing the on-going mind chatter by zoning out with TV, Facebook, or computer games. It can be difficult to just “be.” More and more scientists and researchers are recognizing the benefits of leisure and fun. Many countries and corporations are beginning to offer a variety of programs for their employees–everything from Tai Chi and meditation to required vacation time and mental health days. Yet, in the U.S., production remains the ideal and less than half of the workforce takes their full vacation. On an individual basis, we are becoming much more conscious of our overall wellbeing. We are realizing the need to find balance–mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually. We are actively designing lives that reflect this through good nutrition, stress management, planned leisure, 1. Creating space for silence. Leisure and relaxation offers space to focus on our internal activity. When the external world gets quiet, we can more clearly hear our inner voice. This is the voice of our soul, our intuition, which, when we hear it, keeps our life on course. 2. Keeping our mind sharp. Problem-solving abilities and memory are improved. Switching off and stepping away from the constant mind chatter helps us reboot. Our ability to learn is super-charged and our work is more productive. We return to our daily tasks with more clarity, focus, and enthusiasm. 3. Keeping our body fit. Moving is important to overall physical health. We stay strong, flexible, graceful, and energized. Leisure 69 HEALTH & WELLNESS LEISURE AND RELAXATION OFFER LIFE-ENHANCING BENEFITS IN THE FOLLOWING WAYS: