Rock-a-bye baby!

When you think of a rocking-chair, what are the images which come to mind immediately? An elderly gentleman sitting on it peering at a newspaper or a grey-haired lady knitting a sweater or a mitten for her grand-kids. Retired, domestic bliss?

Well, am not into that league just as yet but had a rocking-chair experience for the first time. I looked at the rocking-chair quite suspiciously before making my debut … and then very gingerly lowered myself into it. As I attempted to make myself comfortable, the back and forth movements started unevenly in fits and starts. Ha, this is how a ship must be feeling ( since a ship is a ‘ She’, I’m sure she has feelings) when anchoring and there is a swell, I thought.

Hey wait, my back was fitting snugly yet firmly in the chair. Not the gradual slump which one encounters while sitting on a sofa and staring at the idiot-box, which then turns into a slouch after a while to ease the mild pain in the lower back. Man, this rocking chair was comfortable. Now I started rocking ever so gently, 1-2, 1-2,1-2 and gradually stepped up the pace. How? Yeah, I could feel myself using my thighs, ankles and abdomen very mildly even as I remained in a sitting position. Possibly the mildest form of crunches, yeah, the same crunches which while doing in their basic form in gyms, we huff and puff. Here I was rocking rhythmically now and felt a wave of peace and a sense of relaxation engulf me. With my eyes closed, the gentle rocking was elevating me to a meditative state.

Was I imagining things or was this for real? I was surprised by what the internet said- that rocking chairs have a soothing effect on the mind and provide good exercise for the body as well, especially the abdomen, thigh and ankles. Another surprising revelation was that John F. Kennedy, the former US President was advised by his doctor to use a rocking chair for his chronic back-pain.

So……. after the revolving chairs in office, long hours in the car seats, cramped aircraft seats or tall bar-stools, time to come home to a comfortable rocking-chair. Rock away! I’m planning to indulge myself by buying one.