Sun Bed Distractions

I set up my "sun bed" on the beach.   I love this new term for lawn or beach chair that an English woman on the beach shared with me the day before.  It brings visions of sunbathing by a turquoise sea instead of sitting on a freshly mowed lawn (though I must admit, I love that too!).  As I settled in, I noticed a woman I met in the hot tub at the hotel the night before setting up her "sun bed" near me and greeted her with a nod and a smile.  I proceeded with my sun protection ritual of sunscreen, sunglasses and sun hat and pulled out my writing tablet.  Soon, I was deep into writing my novel - the continuing saga of the corporate consultant and her frustratingly arrogant nemesis.  Within a few moments my hot tub buddy was joined by her friend and the conversation between the two of them began.  They were close enough and the conversation was loud enough to drown out the delightful rhythmic crashing of the waves on the shore and disturb my thoughts.  Their conversation quickly moved from work problems to good old boys and cheating businessmen.  It was intense and the speed of their words picked up with every response.  I decided it was time for a walk to remove myself from their sordid tales and find peace again on the beach.  

Calm returned as I squished every toe into the sand by the shoreline in a few feet of water so clear you could count the fake diamonds on my polished toes. I walked down to a hotel landmark near the end of the beach and back.  When I returned from my walk, I adjusted my "sun bed" a few feet away from them so I could return to the rhythm of the waves and my novel in progress.  Peace again.

I went to a hot yoga class recently. As I lay on my mat in the dark heated room awaiting the start of class, I heard a student next to me unrolling their mat and settling into their place on the floor.  The smell of smoke permeated my breathing space.  I knew that with all the deep breathing we would do during class, this space was not going to work for me.  I quietly picked up my mat and moved to the other side of the room to settle again into the quiet and warmth of the yoga room.

It is important to remove yourself from distractions and continually bring yourself back to the place where you need to be.