feature: relax the right way
Honestly, the current climate and subsequent lock down measures have been a strain for most. And even those that feel they haven’t been too bothered by daily change should find this unique moment in time to do something for themselves that we all inadvertently miss - a dedicated time to stop and relax. Even in such times, some may scoff at the idea of “taking time”. But truly, if there were an opportune moment to have success at such a thing, now is definitely the time. Of course, everyone has their own version of “stopping”. Some may go down a social platform rabbit hole, others may do some cooking (bread making apparently on the up during this time!) a lot have discovered their love of yoga, breathing and running etc. And all of these things are certifiable real life pause tools. But how about doing truly nothing? Sit or lie yourself down, closing your eyes and just being… say for 10 minutes? Difficult for some, a cake walk for others, the bottom line is, if everyone gave themselves this 10 minutes to reset, well, imagine how they’d feel! 10 whole minutes of nothing. We are very big advocates of it, particularly in such a day and age of so many distractions and bad news.
How do we go about it? Well, very simply. Prior to sitting or lying down, we sometimes pick a playlist that is purely ambient. Nature sounds are an AMAZING choice and can easily be searched on Spotify or YouTube. But, having said that, sometimes just the natural sounds of the space you’re in is more than enough and can actually help ground you to your environment. But if you’re a busy mind, then listening to soundscapes or something instrumental is perfect to help set a focus and obliterate side thoughts. A second factor we love is scent. It’s well known that smells can shift a mood entirely. One of the strongest senses, smell has a big influence on the emotional centre of your brain and so for those that feel tense, anxious or overwhelmed, having a scent peacefully emanating in the background is a key ingredient to achieve calm. Even for those that don’t feel particularly tense, scent can also be a link to memories like holidays etc. Majority of us LOVE the smell of coconut because of the immediate summer holiday feels it gives us. The funny thing, we may never even have used anything coconut related on holidays, yet it’s something we have learned is linked. So choosing something that makes you feel like you have departed your current noise and are dwelling in pure paradise will make your 10 minutes something you cannot wait for each day!
Of course, we have our bias on scents because we have the very beautiful My Happy Soap(s) Candles at our fingertips. All the scents are amazing and it's worth reading the notes of each candle on our website, but the one we love is Altruism. As the name suggests, this candle is all about compassion and generosity. How can a candle be these things? Well, when it comes to relaxation, these words relate to the way you treat yourself. Deep, right? But so true. Take the top note lemon - proven to be a stress reliever, this is the perfect opening for your 10 minutes. In the middle is ylang ylang which can mellow your alertness and promote calm. Vanilla in the base gives the perfect amount of warmth and comfort. Proven to reduce restlessness, it is a great scent to round out the 10 minutes.
Prior to your time out, it’s best to prep your space. Remove anything that may be a distraction, put your phone on flight mode/silent and make sure you’ll be comfy. You don’t need to lay out a mess of pillows, just enough comfort that will disallow restlessness. Light your candle and have it burn for at least 20 minutes prior to your 10 minutes! This is to ensure the space is cleansed in scent and awaiting you. Let the candle continue to burn until it levels completely and when you’re ready to put it out, rather than blowing on it (it’s not a birthday cake), put a small plate over the top to trap the oxygen so the wick goes out on its own. We wish you well on your journey to your daily/weekly 10 minute self sesh! To shop our candles, click here.
