This week I have a few confessions to make.
1. I cheated a little bit and moved our date up one day, so we actually had Zen Garden on Thursday. I was super grouchy and irritable all week, and definitely in need of some Zen, so I asked my husband and he said it would be ok to have date night early. Plus, honestly by the time Friday gets here, sometimes it's nice not to have to do anything, and I have found these date nights (at least for me) require a little bit of prep work- maybe not Friday evening friendly after working and chasing a toddler all week. She was helpful getting set up for the date this time though (when she wasn't running off with my plants).
2. We seriously underestimated yoga. Neither of us had ever done yoga before, but we thought, how hard can it be? and can it really be that much work? We were so wrong.
We tried some beginner's yoga poses and after about 15 minutes I was wiped out- heart pounding, breathing heavy and breaking a sweat. Not how I pictured yoga would be at all. But you know what, it felt good and it was relaxing even though it was a lot of work. I liked it so much, in fact, that I made Travis agree to do regular yoga sessions with me, maybe a few times a week. Perhaps that was a little ambitious though, as it's now Sunday and we've yet to even talk about doing yoga again. The mats are rolled up, hiding behind a mountain of laundry that I am also currently avoiding.
3. No wine this week. I just could not find a way to work it in. (Also no snacks. I made dinner, that was good enough.) We had some tea instead, and it was probably the better choice. Although after sweating during our yoga attempts, hot tea wasn't the most refreshing drink, next time I would probably put it on ice.
4. There will be no date night next week, at least not a formal, planned out date night in. We are traveling next, so I am taking a week off.
A few other details from our date worth mentioning if you are going to plan a Zen night:
Definitely invest in some quality essential oils and a diffuser. It was so relaxing to inhale diffused sandalwood and frankincense while focusing on stretching the body and calming the mind. Frankincense is a really good oil for deepening meditation; and sandalwood just smells wonderful. You could also try other grounding oils (vetiver, for example would work wonderfully!).
Genuine pink Himalayan salt lamps also add a very Zen like atmosphere. Pink Himalayan salt, when heated, helps ionize the air which has been shown to decrease anxiety, along with many other health benefits.
Making Zen gardens of your own is also a great way to relax. I've already mentioned before how great creativity is in reducing stress, but Zen gardens do that on another level as one is encouraged not to think about the creative process, but rather just release yourself into it. The sand in Zen gardens is meant to represent water, and you are supposed to trace waves through the sand. Other elements of nature, such as rocks and small plants, can also be added, but the sand is the most important element. Finer grained sand is easier to work with. We used a coarse grain and it was difficult to see the wave patterns in our gardens.
Thanks for following us for another week. I still want to hear your date night in stories, so please comment or email them to me. Stay tuned for a Valentine's date night in the next couple of weeks. Namaste!
