Do you ever find yourself craving or even desperately needing a mental break to meet your day-to-day life demands? If you can relate to seeking an energy shift of another mindset or experience, this blog is written for you. Keep reading and discover how a mental break can be a portal into another awareness.
A couple weeks ago I was on a backpacking trip with a couple friends. One of them brought a lightweight camping chair. It was a little heavy for back packing, but perfect for setting up camp near your car. This is exactly what we did on the first night out.
My friend shared that the weird little seat was called the portal chair.
I halfway watched, as the magical seat was set free from the narrow blue bag that held all the pieces together. The segments were connected by an internal cord, only visible if you pulled the pieces apart. When one leg was held up, all the others fell towards the ground in a single line formation. It reminded me of a wind chime waiting for a breeze to carry its messages of freedom to those that needed them most.
This funny contraption relied on a single piece of canvas to maintain a form that was steady and strong enough to hold a person’s body weight. When all the pieces were linked a certain way, the cloth slipped over the corners, and suddenly, a chair replaced the swinging chime image. The transformation looked simple enough.
In hindsight, maybe it was my reminder of how easy it is to transform the shape of one’s day or even life.
The next morning, as we began our journey, we put our backpacks on and left the magical chair in my vehicle. Our plan was to explore a canyon for a couple days. The challenge would be finding a usable passage that would safely take us into the canyon.
As this landscape is not familiar to me; I completely relied on the two people I was with. We all had a limited amount of water in our packs; this meant we had to find a source of water wherever we camped.
As we began searching for a possible entrance into the canyon, my mindset began to shift. I loved the openness and the fall temperatures. I completely appreciated the feeling of the desert sun on my body.
Later in the day, I was beginning to feel a little apprehensive about relying on a mountain goat trail to take us lower into the canyon. We had about a six-inch-wide trail to use as a viable path. At times it was difficult to see where the next step would take me. Gratefully one of my traveling companions had offered to take some of the weight out of my pack, to help me move with more confidence.
The person I was following made it look so easy to traipse across the cliff face, but I knew our exposure on the steep cliff would quickly drop us to the bottom of the canyon, if we mis stepped. This was enough for one person to call it quits on the animal path. We back tracked and began looking for another option.
My mindset shifted again, opening a new portal of awareness.
That morning, I began our journey with a heightened sense of adventure, this was replaced with a charge of vulnerability and even gratitude for the now easy slope of ground beneath my feet.
Eventually we found a trail that took us almost 4 hours to make it to the bottom. It was steep, rocky, unsure footing and anytime I could grab a plant or root for support, I was grateful.
I moved slower than my friends and relied on them to find the easiest path down the cliff side. We finally made it to a place just above the wash and set up our tent just as the sun set. We had not found water or made food for the night.
I had fully entered a portal of being completely aware of living with the elements and depending on my fellow travelers.
In the morning, before coffee or completely waking, we began our search for water. The area of desert that we hiked into had received rain, a couple days ago. We hoped that the cooler temps would preserve any precipitation that gathered in the naturally made sink holes.
We crossed the wash and climbed to the top of a plateau; it was here that I felt safe. There was enough water for a couple days, all we needed to do was filter it. That morning as I enjoyed cowboy coffee in the early morning sun, I had yet another shift in my mindset.
Our objective was to find pictographs and petroglyphs. We were not disappointed with the rock art that has been preserved over many years. Again, I felt like I slipped through another portal. This one didn’t know our modern ways.
The next morning, we hiked out much faster and easier than our hike into the canyon. The entrance to this portal remains a mystery to me. I couldn’t replicate this experience if I wanted, but it totally reset my gratitude for our ability to experience a world untouched by modern man.
I learned a lot about how I handle stress, and what it feels like to depend on another person’s skills when moving through new experiences.
All three of us referenced the camp chair several times during our experience. Each of us entered a portal that offered expansive and grateful thoughts.
Benefits of a Mental Break
You can experience less stress in your life when you take a break. The ability to take your mind to a place that is not running on your everyday fears and worries, can decrease your stress level, as well as shift energy helping you let go of deeper fears.
Mental breaks can improve your mood by shifting your focus to new possibilities and expansive mindset.
Mental breaks can easily elevate your mood. Think about a time you were working hard on something, when you took a little break, you felt less pressure and probably a little more vibrant.
It’s easier to connect with others when you step away from your day-to-day life. An opening is created that allows new experiences and even people into your world.
A break, especially if it’s paired with physical activity, can help you let go of tension in body and mind.
Wrapping It Up
When I experienced this adventure, I was taking a break from my everyday activities, including selling a house, packing and being without an address for a bit. I needed to step away from my responsibilities. I got exactly what I was seeking.
There are many ways of enjoying a mental break. Sometimes it’s a quick nap, a meditation, or a weekend getaway. I encourage you to find several ways to slip out of your day-to-day experience, to reset your mind in a way that allows you to connect with high vibrations, like joy, gratitude and inspiration.
Thank you for reading this blog.
As many of you know, I’m no longer seeing clients, but will continue writing my blogs and other magazine articles. Wishing you the most loving and expansive life journey.
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