Relaxing With Candles

Sometimes I think our lives are way to stressful.  From the moment we wake up, until the time we finally lie back down for sleep, our lives are filled with noise, electronic devices, smart phones, traffic, work, children who seem to always need something, laundry, house cleaning, dinner, grocery shopping, and money ... just to name a few of the day to day things that can cause stress.  It seems like I have a million things to do in a day, and it becomes stressful if I can't seem to get anything done.

Most people think of candles as just something we see on a birthday cake, or something we light when we want a romantic evening, or even a life saver, when the electricity goes out during a storm.  But candles have a relaxing property.  There's just something about darkening your room, and lighting a couple of candles that seems to make all the stresses of the day fade away.  I am mesmerized by a flickering flame.  This is true of a campfire too.  I love open flames.  We don't have a fireplace in our home, so a candle is as close as I can get.  When you add in your favorite scent to the mix .... aaahhhhhh!  It helps me to relax and get a fresh start at tackling my daily tasks.

Everyone has seen photos of a bathtub, with candles lit all around. Well, I'm sure that is super relaxing for those who can find the time for an hour long soak in a warm tub.  A couple of years ago, during a power outage, I had to take a shower by candlelight (out of necessity), and that was the most relaxing shower I've ever had!  There's just something about candles!

If you burn candles often, you want to make sure you choose soy or beeswax candles.  Studies have shown that when you allow long-term exposure to the emissions from paraffin wax candles (which are petroleum based) it may cause health problems.  Paraffin wax candles release unhealthy chemicals some of which are linked to causing cancer and can worsen allergies and asthma.  Soy and beeswax are renewable resources, biodegradable and free of toxins.  http://www.scsu.edu/news_article.aspx?news_id=832

So the next time you're feeling stressed, try lighting up a soy or beeswax candle and watch the stress melt away.