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The Unwind

This page is called the unwind, because it is the opposite of getting "all wound up," or
adding cumulative stress / tension in our body and mind - which leads to headaches, inner conflicts,
and a myriad of health problems which can vary from person to person. Such as faster aging,
back pain, gray hair, heart related issues, weight gain, a weaker immune system. Once I figured out what to do
to heal my inner mind & body, I had to actually apply it to myself, and there were unexpected surprises along the way.
 

Tension example: Here is a photo (Wikipedia) that became world famous showing the real-time pursuit and
killing of Osama Bin Laden as seen from the perspective of US President Obama, VP Biden,  Sec of State Clinton,
Sec of Defense Robert Gates, and various other US government officials. Nobody is saying anything in the photo --
but perhaps you could imagine the "tension in the air." What is "tension in the air?"  Or we might also call it
"excitement in the air" - when we go some place that has a different "vibe" than what we are accustomed to.
Hawaii, Las Vegas, New York City, a foreign city, any place, it's all relative to each person's existing "vibe" / tension level.

Las Vegas - New York City Times Square - Maui, Hawaii beach (wikipedia images)

Or "tension in the air" from disagreements or marital problems....

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People who knew me in the past - either at the office or outside of it,  probably would have called me a calm person, but
I was "wearing a mask" over internal stress - which required visits to the chiropractor, massage therapy,
and frequent, regular exercise to shed weight from overeating (emotional eating)

As I learned about how our minds & bodies work, I then figured out a way to get rid of
stress rapidly (not 100% completed - only 'very minor stress' left) using some very
unorthodox techniques, which came about from research related to the the novel I wrote.
Not only have I learned to get rid of all types of stress*, but I've
learned how to make myself immune to acquiring stress.

*Types of stress might be more clearly understood with this analogy:
When one gets a massage, one might choose between a deep tissue massage vs a 'regular' massage.
The deep tissue helps to work out 'deep stress', while a regular massage only affects 'regular or minor stress.'
 

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The basis of the methodology comes from Scandinavia, a region of the world which always scores
at the top for both economic development and happiness according to world rankings.

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To (accelerate the process) of getting rid of stress, I went to places where there was less tension, a lot less.
Below were my final 3 multi-month stopping points. All located in areas with few people, sunny weather,
near water, and to me anyways, outstanding natural beauty. These places were important
in helping me to achieve a higher level of inner peace.

Of course, we can't all take such time to "remove stress / tension" but there are lessons in the methodology.

My standard of calm is "much calmer" than what most people think of as calm. It also applies under
what most people would consider "stressful situations," which are often fear-inducing.
-- My standard is inner calmness under any situation, with any person / group. And it is (ultimately) a peaceful
state that does not require food or drink to suppress anything and eventually, no willpower. Willpower = stress.

We use food and drink (especially caffeine) to suppress our emotions. This is called
emotional eating / drinking. We also use willpower to suppress unpleasant feelings in our subconscious.
This leads to "inner conflicts" as what we do on the outside, may not match how we feel on the inside.

Caffeine: The Silent Killer of Emotional Intelligence (Forbes)

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Final 3 stopping points

--- La Restinga < 500 people, on a small island with only 10,000 souls and few tourists, in contrast to the other Canary Islands
--- Pasajcap site - Lake Atitlan < 50 people, but just a short beautiful boat ride or 15 min walk to nearby towns
scattered around a large lake in the Guatemalan highlands
--- Paleochora, Crete, Greece < 2000 people, non-tourist season, inexpensive and slow pace of life

La Restinga, El Hierro, Canary Islands November 2012 - February 2013 Also La Palma in October

Lake Atitlan, Guatemala April 2013 - August 2013 Pasajcap (Pierre)

Paleochora, Crete, Greece October 2013 - March 2014 Relax Apartments & Studios (Olga)

You may contact the owners of the places above to verify my stay as necessary.