Shell Picking - A Mind AND Body Exercise

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Shell Picking - a Mind AND Body Experience
I am a shell picking enthusiast.  Shells are very special to me - the color, shape, along with the thoughts of its journey to shore.  I am so thankful to live a short bike ride away from Clearwater Beach, FL. So, shell picking is at an arm's width away.  Recently,  we had a few storms. So, like any shell picker would....time to go to the beach!

Shell Picking Accessories/Gear

A few key a accessories and you'll be set.  This mind and body exercise is a low maintenance and low cost hobby .  I bring a special 'bag' so I have a place (aside from throwing them mindlessly in the bag) where they all travel together after I rinse them one last time in the salt water (or other bodies of water).  A hat and/or sunglass is highly recommend.  However, choose your head gear wisely - a floppy hat or a tight lipped visor may restrict or limit your peripheral vision of your 'playing field' (aka the beach).  If you're wearing sunglasses, make sure the lenses are clean as smudges may, too, block you from uniting from your perfect shell!


Mindful
Shell picking, to me, is meditative, relaxing, fun and surprising!  You never know what you're going to find and.... its a gift from Mother Earth.  So, I make sure there's enough for everyone to enjoy!  I allow my mind to drift and be mindless.  However, it's important to be mindful of your posture because shell picking, like cycling for example, may challenge your alignment if you're remiss about stretching or muscular balance (more on that in the 'body').  


Body
There's alot going on, physically, when shell picking.  It's a great way to work your core, legs, balance and agility.  Agility is the ability to move quickly and react.  If your shell picking with waves of any size, you'll need to react quickly to grab your desired shell. Therefore, agility is important to shell picking.   Ok, let's start from 'the top'!  There are a few different ways to position your head. Body awareness, flexibility and strength is so important in your every day life. It will reduce chronic pain.  As you're looking down scanning the playing field, be aware of the position of the head.  Instead of allowing the head to hang heavy down, use your muscles to pull the head 'back' in a more anatomically correct position.  The proper shell picking gaze should be a little something like this: tuck your chin slightly so you have length in the back of your neck and curl your upper body forward without allowing your shoulders to hang heavy forward.  Basically use your core (from the lower abs below the belly button all the way up to the chest) to flex the spine (look forward and down) enough to maintain the proper position of your head and shoulders.  Then, the legs and balance.  I squat numerous times.  Think of how many ways you squat when shell picking (as opposed to bending from the back).  Sometimes the heels are down, others they're up.  It may be a wide squat, squat in external roation, quick 'pop a squat', lunge forward, lunge diagonal, a 'take a knee' squat or even side lunge.  You may head into a backwards lunge if you almost pass up the opportunity of your eye catching shell!  You may also find yourself balancing on one (straight) leg or in a mini squat (slightly bent knee), hinging forward to collect your prize (shell).  This position in fitness is considered a single leg dead lift or in yoga similar to Warrior 3.  In this mindful exercise, be aware of your body and posture and change it up from time to time.  You'll last longer!




Play around with your shell picking technique and have fun!  You may even want to wear them. I do! I make shell earring, necklaces, shell-anklets, and even a waistlet.  When creating the jewelry, I select the earrings or pair of earrings energetically.

Body and Mind Enrichment. A unique way of exercising your body and mind!

Play with Yourself

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The doctor tells you to do it.  Touch and feel your breast.  All around the breast.  Other tests encourage you to squeeze your nipple to check hormones.  Squeeze the ends of your toes to open up sinuses or rub your temples to relieve a headache. One of the best ways to learn about your very own body is to feel it.   A few ways to stimulate the body include exploring, brushing, and exfoliating.  Play with yourself to stimulate as well as monitor any changes in and on your body.

Personally, I love when my pampering sessions serendipitously happen.  It may be weekly, monthly, and some weeks more then others.  Recently, a friend graciously gave me homegrown avocados!  I made guacamole, flax crackers with avocado, dressing, salad with avocado and many other creative recipes.  Then I decided to apply it on my body instead of just in my body!

I had been at the beach and needed to moisturize my sunkissed skin.  I love the feeling of salt water and the natural exfoliating properties. Typically afterwards, I apply a little oil on my body including the hair as a deep conditioner.  This time, I grabbed a glass of wine, music and a towel and got messy.  I took some dead sea salts and epsom salts, a little sunflower oil plus lemon and ylang ylang essential oil mixed well in a paper cup with a chop stick.  As my body was dry, I brushed all over from the top of my feet, underneath armpits, up the arms, legs, and 'rear' with a medium bristle (body) brush.  It feels tingling as if your body is vibrating.  When putting food on your body or face, just take the plunge!  I feel like a little kid playing with my food as I smash the (very ripe) avocado in my face and hair.  Then, exfoliate.  I find exfoliating very sexy.  Take the salt/oil combo and rub in a circular motion all around your body following up from the dry brushing.  Chill out for as long as you decide -  5 minutes, 30 minutes, there is no wrong.  Allow the oils to penetrate into the skin and enjoy the aromatherapy.  After about 10-15 min. I added a little of the oil to my avocado hair and some avocado to the oily skin. When I felt the time was right, I took a warm shower to rinse everything off thoroughly and finished with a cold splash.  In the shower, I combed through my conditioned hair (no soap, shampoo, or conditioner).  My body felt perfectly soft with little beads from the oil.  Lightly pat dry.

The avacodo is very nourishing, hydrating and good for mature and sun damaged skin.  Visualize the consistency and texture.  Dry brushing brushes off dead skin which allows the skin to breath also increasing lymphatic circulation.  Other benefits include reducing cellulite, stimulating circulation and more!  http://naturalhealthtechniques.com/healingtechniquesdry_brushing_technique.htm provides a great explanation about dry brushing.  Exfoliating is similar to dry brushing and includes the benefits of the oils, essential oils and aromatherapy.  

I hope you enjoy messing around!
     


Body and Mind Enrichment. A unique way of exercising your body and mind!

Variety is the Spice of Life!

Recently, I took a bike ride to get something quick at the store.  Just like any other ride, I enjoy my surroundings and the outdoors.  But, this simple bike ride turned into something a little more extraordinary. The ride was all of 1/2 mile at most.  On a wimb, I found myself drawn to ride off the beatin' path. This  non-path is on a hill (remember I live in FL so more like a large sand pile with some dirt and grass on top).
Then, I stumbled upon a swing! And old school swing at that.  It was a rope attached to a huge tree with a large knot at the bottom as the swing 'chair'.  Talk about a workout.  It was challenging just to get swinging and I felt like a monkey with my feet tightly knotted together pushing and pulling from my core.  After briefly entertaining myself on the swing and enjoying the beauty surrounding that experience, I finished my short trip home.
I realized, if I hadn't taken the opportunity to head down a different path, I would not have seen and experienced the joy of feeling free enough to explore and the challenge of trying something new.  It is so try if you apply the same theory in life.  If you are stuck on the same road, revert off your path a bit. You never know what may happen.  The possibilities are endless!


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