Sometimes life asks more of us than we can give, and it becomes increasingly difficult to respond to a world that at times overwhelms us. There always seems to be something to do, know, be, or buy. This endless busyness has been called the sickness of our time and at the root of this sickness lies the nagging reality that no matter how much we do or acquire we are still left wanting more. What we may not realize is that the more we long for can’t be bought or scheduled. What we really want is already inside of us, we just need to figure out ways to tap into it. That’s the trick, finding the balance between what nourishes us and what throws us off balance. The secret to this is getting acquainted with our own internal equilibrium and recognizing the times when we need to recharge, reboot, and simply stop for awhile. We may love all that doing but body, mind, and spirit still need a rest now and again in order to mend.
The inner adventure that awaits each one of us requires us to slow it down and look intently at the thoughts and ideas we often ignore in the hectic pace of our days. The journey back to the essence of who we and what heals us mentally and emotionally requires time spent in calm and quiet moments that let us center our self and reflect. So my new mantra for realigning and regrouping when everything gets to be too much is read, rest, breathe, be.
For me reading always acts as a way to ground and re-center. The beautiful words of poets and mystics or complex ideas in physics and psychology always fills me with the endless possibilities that are all around but often unnoticed. It’s important to find the words that speak to our soul, it helps us navigate the elusive depths of our interior and find our way to what resonates deep within. Words that help us dive deeper automatically get us to slow down and start thinking in unfamiliar ways that somehow make complete sense. We pause and connect instead of just racing through a zillion thoughts without a second glance. Slowing down lets us expand in our own infinitely unusual ways. Coming across new ideas is always transformative, it reminds us of all that is out there unopened, just waiting to be discovered, like lost letters from the universe.
Rest is another way of letting the psyche balance out, and something we don’t do enough of in this fast-paced culture of ours. We almost feel guilty if we aren’t doing something all the time. Real rest gives us a little bit of room to readjust. Whether we’re sitting on the deck in the sun, or snuggled up in a big chair, this quiet time creates space to ruminate and ponder instead of covering up and hiding in the busyness of the day. Constant activity keeps us preoccupied from how we feel and all that’s going on inside. And although it sounds deceptively easy the simple act of resting sorts out a multitude of issues. Think of the old saying sleep on it. Rest gives us unstructured time for the body and mind to just putter around, we sleep at night to recharge the body, we rest when we are sick. Body and mind need it to recalibrate and find a natural equilibrium, then a kind of cosmic reorganization spontaneously takes place.
No one remembers to breathe so what usually happens is we end up holding our breath. We get so wrapped up in what we are doing we’re not at home in the body. Taking a long luxurious breath can bring us back from the endless stream of to-do lists, over analyzing, and the daily struggles we face, bringing us right into the moment of now. It’s like a mini vacation. Being aware of the breath is a really old technique for meditation, it lets us wander around in the natural rhythms of the body and creates a kind of reverie. Just being quiet and focusing on the breath for a little while opens up all this big, beautiful space within. The breath asks us to slow down and look inside, lounging in a place that is no place at all.
And then there is being. Usually we are always somewhere else in our heads thinking, endlessly organizing, planning for things that may or may not happen instead of being in the moment of now. To be in the present moment and feel what’s really going on can be unsettling. We are unfamiliar with the present, we are a nation of doers and planners, always onto what’s next. Just being can be disconcerting, it takes practice, we tend to wander and get lost in the distractions. I have this mind bell app on my phone, it’s a Buddhist technique that’s meant to bring you back to the present moment when you hear it. The bell triggers asking the question, where am I right now, what am I really doing or thinking about. It’s a reminder to be where we are right now, not ten minutes, two days, or a year from now. I know it sounds easy but go ahead, try to still the natural tide of thought and doing and see how far you get. This battle with the nature of the mind has been going on for centuries. We need constant reminding to slow down and pay attention because the mind is constantly on the move. Even practicing at being let’s us finally relax, even if it’s only momentary. And we all need more of that in our life.
So take your pick, read, rest, breathe, be. Life will always be hectic, it’s up to us to tend the quiet and calm in our own garden of life.
kb
