Positive Beauty 30-Day Fitness Challenge: Day Twelve: Relaxation

It's Sunday again, so take a break, chill out, have a nice long bubble bath with a good book.

In the modern age of technology,  where even our mobile phones are connected to everything Interweb based, including Twitter, Facebook, blogging etc, I really do wonder how many of us ever truly just "switch off" and relax. You know, into that kind of relaxation when we're not thinking about that email that we might have (although, more likely than not, we haven't) missed, or if so-and-so has replied to our probably-not-even-that-important tweet. Or planning blog posts, or thinking up that witty one-liner for Facebook (which, let's be honest, is only really hilarious in our heads anyway!). How many of us, spend more time taking photos for social media, than actually enjoying the views, and the world around us?

Source: coastalliving.com via nicole : on Pinterest

A few years ago, I was lucky enough to be taken to Niagara Falls, in Canada, and that was a truly breath-taking experience. We went on the Maid of the Mist boat, underneath the falls, and then ventured into a helicopter to see the falls from the sky. Pretty incredible, wouldn't you think? The problem: I feel like I spent those two experiences watching it through a Camera Lens, as I filmed it for the memory. And, part of me feels like I completely missed out on the real "being there" awe of the experience. I do, however, remember the moment that we were directly underneath the falls, and I had been forced to hide the camera beneath my very fetching blue waterproof poncho, because I didn't want to kill it. I looked up at the Falls, and for the first time, I got incredibly emotional at the immenseness of where I was. I hadn't felt that whilst I was filming stuff, but I did the moment I was forced to put it to one side.

On the other hand, of course, I do have those memories down on tape, nevertheless, it doesn't feel the same. I wonder how many of us are too busy creating hard-solid memories in photos and videos, that we forget to actually "live" and to enjoy experiences?

Niagara Falls - May 2008

I look at the picture above, and it definitely sparks some amazing memories of my trip to Canada, that much is without a doubt true. I love looking at this picture, and at the Maid of the Mist, and to just think that I was on that boat not long before this picture was taken, and that is an incredible feeling.

What do you think? Are our lives so full of technology, and preservation of memories, that we don't take the time to enjoy it? 

Or, do you think it's more important to savour those good times in photos etc, so we can remember and share them with future generations?