Editor’s Note: The Good Life With Chris is a new column on Saucon Source in which Chris Fluck will experience activities, services and products sold or offered by local health and wellness-related businesses/organizations. To suggest a business or activity for Chris to visit/experience, please email josh@sauconsource.com.
The motivation for The Good Life column came from an issue that arose almost one year ago. I was having pains in my chest and weird “tremors” in my heart some nights before I fell asleep. I decided to go to the doctor. After a few tests and some conversation, the results came in: my blood pressure was 153/91 (normal is considered to be 120/80) and my heart rate was 14 to 16 beats per minute higher than normal. I was in a state of hypertension.
A painting by Chris
For a 28-year-old who works out 5 to 6 times a week and eats pretty damn good, something did not make sense. The doctor wasn’t phased at all. He told me to relax more, have some fun, take up meditation or try some yoga. That is exactly what I did!
Over the course of this past year, I have decided to experiment with different relaxation methods. If it meant that it could potentially make my blood pressure return to normal, I was in! I have done yoga, hot yoga, run more often, meditation, quit caffeine…then started drinking it again…then quit again…then, well, you get the idea…and a few other things I’d rather not mention. Just the other night I went over to Revolutions on Rt. 378 in Lower Saucon Township and participated in their Paint Nite event.
I have to be totally honest here: this was not exactly my idea for a fun night out. It took a little coaxing from my girlfriend–actually a lot of coaxing–but I gave in and decided to attend. It was my first time in Revolutions and the place is pretty sweet. There were 14 to 18 people in the class and one instructor. Like most things I have tried this past year, it was mostly women. If it wasn’t for one other guy, I would have been the only dude in there! But anyway, the instructor was great as she walked us through the process of painting on a canvas (as you can see by the picture above, I will not be quitting my day job anytime soon). The great thing about these Paint Nites is that you can do whatever the heck you want. You can let your creativity shine because there are no grades for this art project. You can literally do whatever you want! Who doesn’t like that?
So how does painting tie in with health and wellness? To put it simply, it enables you to relax. It is a low stress, low stakes way to unlock your creative potential. Painting, or coloring, is a relaxation technique that has been used for over 100 years. This activity enables you to let your mind go to places that it never would if you were instead trolling Instagram or Facebook. Even if you are not digging the whole Paint Nite thing, you can go on Amazon.com and purchase an adult coloring book and get the same benefits! It should come as no surprise that people all over the world are stressed out, both physically and emotionally. These stressors come from the way we live, the way we eat, the way we sleep, and the way we spend our waking hours. With that being said, the fate of your health is largely in your own hands! Don’t be like me and wait until something is wrong. Take control of your life now and I can promise you, you will be a much happier and healthier individual.
The next Paint Nite at Revolutions is Wednesday, Sept. 23 at 7 p.m. Click here for more details! Maybe I will see you all there!
