AFTERWARD I

May 9, 2013

I’m afraid I can’t say that 21 soaks in a row cured “all that ails me,” though it did a nice job of fixing my insomnia, at least in the short term.

Soaking may ease aches and pains caused by hard manual labor or exercise, and other maladies I just didn’t have, but carpal tunnel syndrome or shoulder knots are probably better fixed by stretching, strengthening, and career changes.

Migraines? Not cured; they’re happening less as time goes on, but I don’t think I can credit the mineral water.

But I probably have a deeper appreciation for my health. No disease to treat, no hip replacement surgery to heal from – yet.

I’ve also gained a more intimate familiarity with this place where I live, and with the hot springs that have drawn people to the area for centuries. So glad that there’s a healing hot spring around just about any corner here in T or C, waiting to wash away the irritation of the moment, or spark an idea, or untangle a mental knot.

AFTERWARD II

August 18, 2013

Maybe the positive effects of 21 soaks creep slowly at times, or maybe I was just burned out and finally wound down, or maybe both. About a month after I completed the series, I took a vacation and did a bang-up job of ignoring work while I was away. After I got back, I just couldn’t spur myself back into the people-pleasing rambo mindset.

I generally started taking more rest, watching more movies, sleeping late if I’d had insomnia, worrying less about doing amahp (as much as humanly possible) asap daily.  I still take on work, but I no longer deliver with such reliable speed. Sorry, clients.

Case in point, this project right here is 3 months behind schedule. There’ve been rewrites, and more rewrites, but I’ve also let it sit for long periods in between versions. And I have no idea when I’ll be done. I’m pretty proud of this slacking development.

If the 21 soaks in a row started me down a path that began at Type A and ended closer to Type B, then – hallelujah! I’ve been cleansed in the mineral baths of T or C, and – I’m healed!

AFTERWARD III

September 10, 2013

Good news! At today’s tourism meeting, I learned that the 21 soak regimen only prescribes ONE soak per day. Not three. So I was on track for full healing after all. But I did a couple of things wrong that I wasn’t aware of until today. I didn’t take time to rest after the bath, and I didn’t soak at the same time each day. Seems to have had some effect anyway.

But how’s this for irony: wrapping up this 23-post project put me back in that awful pattern of working early to late, and I had worrying insomnia on top of it. Maybe another 21 day program is in order!

If you’re interested in trying out the program, contact Kathy Clark at the Charles Motel & Spa. She’s got a local doctor involved now, consulting about nutrition and monitoring progress.

If you would rather go your own way, here’s the drill:

• – Soak in our hot springs once daily for 21 days
• – Soak at around the same time each day (this per Magnolia Ellis!)
• – After each bath, spend as much time resting & recovering as you spent in the water

Happy Soaking!