Got Stress? Try Giving them the Bird!

While speaking in South East Asia, Rosemary takes part in the Thai Tradition of Setting a Bird Free"

On Stress Reducing Rituals:

One of my cherished memories in Thailand is taking part in the ancient custom of releasing a caged bird.  It is said if one takes part in this beloved Thai custom, your dreams will take flight with the symbolic release of your fears and worries.  Now,  that's what I call a real ritual for releasing stress.

Indeed, my husband Barry and I went in search for just the right bird from the Thai merchants who competed for our attentions.   I disregarded  Barry's comments (He's a New Yorker--not that, that means anything ) that the ritual  was surely some rip-off,  because the  merchants  had trained the birds to fly back into the cages.       No, our little bird would take flight,  even with the bag of stress we had given him and  indeed he did.  As we walked back up the temple staircase, Barry chuckled and said "I must admit giving the bird never felt like that before".

Stress and worries tend to occupy our thoughts as we constantly roll them around in our heads.  They create baggage that weigh us down and seemingly grow larger than life in our own thoughts.  Got Stress?  Think about developing your own ritual for recognizing and releasing your stressors and fears.  The only rule is that you clearly identify and recognize those fears and develop a physical release mechanism.   For example I have attended ceremonies where fears are written on small pieces of paper and thrown into the fire.  (Live Bird not required and this ritual  forces you to write your worries down!) Remember, "If you think it, ink it".

At our personal growth safaris held in Costa Rica , designed to heal mind, body and spirit, --- nature and ritual play a big role in a 7-day retreat from the rat race.   Visit www.retreatscostarica.com for information on our Learning Vacations in April and October.  There's something to be said for a week in paradise where you commune with Parrots and Monkeys in the Rainforest and Soak in Soothing in Hot Springs, heated by an Active Volcano.  I think they call it Paradise!