top five relaxation techniques

1. Taking a long hot bath. I don't have a shower in my bathroom, just an old pink cast-iron bathtub, but even if I had a shower, I probably wouldn't use it, because I dearly love soaking. I lean back and zone out and the next thing I know it's half an hour later and the water's getting cold. It's not sleeping, and it's not conscious meditation; it's just this perfect free-float. It's a good way to start the day, I find, but I have to be careful not to zone out for too long.



2. Brushing the dog. He needs it, because he is a hairy monster who sheds bushels of fur by the week. He loves it. I love it. Win/win/win.



3. Driving. This one's pretty specific: it can't be on interstate, or in city traffic. But give me a long country road and lots of green and I could drive forever, whether the radio worked or not. (Working radio = good, though.)



4. Reading. I seriously can't go to sleep unless I've read myself somnolent. (The best choice for relaxing, for me, is to read something I've read before.)



5. Painting my toenails/giving myself a pedicure. Because I'm secretly sort of shallow.

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Now it's your turn. What are your favorite relaxation techniques?