I just got back from a week at the Jersey shore, where I thought for sure I’d know how to relax. However, now being my own boss, I constantly feel the need to do work…and am not sure how to "do vacation." I ended up finding that trying to relax can be a real adventure.
One day I went mini-golfing with my family and decided to experiment with breath. (I’m a huge proponent of deep belly breaths—for getting into the “zone” before an intuitive reading or for staying sane on the subway.) So after trial and error, I discovered that a full deep breath in and out, followed by a second inhale and exhale-while-putting maneuver got me a hole in one. On the following hole I forgot to breathe altogether, and my ball went through a wire fence and the shrubbery behind it, only to land out of reach in a pirate-ship infested stream.
Another day, after fighting a super-strong undertow in the ocean and getting knocked down by a few waves, I realized, duh, the ocean has such powerful energy, maybe it would help if I tried to connect with it. I stood as best as I could with my feet on the ocean floor, shut my eyes and put my palms out to my sides. I took a deep breath in and gave some gratitude to the Atlantic. Then I turned around to huddle with my family who were behind me. As my energy went back to tensely trying to fight the undertow, I felt something solid bump up against my leg. (It was fully a bump, not a brush.) I looked down and saw what looked like two tannish-brown rays swim by at full speed.
I’ve gone to the Jersey shore every summer of my life. Never, ever have I seen a ray in the ocean, much less felt one bump into me. I was supremely freaked out and promptly exited the ocean. Yes, I know I’m an animal communicator, but I was having a moment.
That night I did some googling and found a recent article titled Cow-Nose Rays Invade the Jersey Shore. When I saw the pictures in the article, I ID’d them as the rays who passed me in the ocean. Ok maybe not THE ones…but close enough.
In both of the above instances, I had a real moment of peace and connection, and in the next moment I sent a mini-golf ball soaring to high heaven and ran fleeing from the ocean. I decided to look up what the ray spirit animal symbolizes and found that they are experts in navigating energy, living fluidly and gracefully, and just plain being.
Once again, the animals know best. (Like, maybe don’t try so hard and just be.) Driving the message home, out of nowhere on the last day, my brother’s dog Gizmo dove gleefully into our outdoor-seat cushions and rubbed his whole body in them, snorting in ecstasy.
Now I know how to do vacation: Breathe, be, snort with glee.
It’s all about the magic. 🙌