The last post was all about the need to keep the yoga bucket
full, so when we feel like we are losing our sanity, we have some reserves upon
which we can fall back. But how do we do that? What sorts of tricks can we
utilize when our lives feel like they are falling apart?
The answer is simple – five a day. With just five minutes
per day, we can begin to refill our reserves, to refill our buckets.
One of the main culprits for feeling so overwhelmed is
the constant barrage of information into our lives, whether new cases, emails,
phone calls, texts, facebook, or even the radio, there is always noise around
us. Interestingly, people in New Zealand speak very quietly. A common complaint
among Americans is that the Kiwis are difficult to hear. I joked that it was
because they live in a quieter place, so they do not have to scream to be
heard. Then I came back to the United States, and I realized it was no joke.
This place is LOUD.
But this barrage of noise and information is not unique to
Americans. Even the Kiwis are plagued by it; their voice decibel level has
simply not caught up. The New York Times had two great articles about the need
for silence recently (here
and here),
and both of them point out how we are paradoxically more productive when we
take the time to turn off and unplug.
The easiest way to do this is to take five minutes per day
to be in silence. Personally, I prefer the morning, in order to start my day in
the serenity and clearing that silence allows. Others prefer right in the
middle of the day, an opportunity to take a break from the insanity and let it
all disappear into the silence. Still others prefer the evening, just before
bed, as a chance to end their day in the silence and sleep more profoundly.
Ideally, we would all utilize moments throughout the day to be in silence, but
starting small helps ensure we continue the practice.
There are no rules. There is no way to do this wrong. There
is nothing in particular about which you must think or about which you are
forbidden from thinking. I am purposefully not using the word meditation here.
While I often use this time for my meditation practice, it need not be a defined type of
meditation.
Just silence. Just stillness. Just allow yourself five
minutes per day, every single day.
I find that five minutes sounds like nothing until I try to
do it, and then I find that some days I cannot even make five minutes for
stillness. I know it is a choice I am making, but still, the thought of “wasting”
that time in stillness creeps up into my ego. But I know (and so do you, dear
reader) that this time is exactly what we need to ensure we are not wasting the
rest of our time.
As an added bonus, though not in place of the five minutes
of complete silence, I have found another place to find silence – the car. My
first couple of weeks at my new job put me into a state of stress I do not
think I have experienced since the end of college when I was working 35 hours per week, writing a thesis, and caring for my sick grandfather who lived 30 miles away. The end of the second week at my new job was better for three reasons: 1) my wonderful boss came back from vacation and
was a huge help, 2) I restarted my (at least) five minutes per day, and 3) I
turned off the radio in my car. The job requires a lot, and I mean a lot, of
driving, and I have begun to use the car as an opportunity to sit in silence
even amongst the horrific driving conditions that are Tucson, Arizona.
But the car is just a bonus. The true benefit, the true
need, is complete, intentional silence when we can turn off completely. As much
as I would like to turn off completely in the car, I think others on the road
may disapprove. So, the mornings are mine. Silent and calm. Start small, start
with five minutes, and see if you can begin to refill your reserves.
Where can you find five minutes?
Namaste.
©
Rebecca Stahl 2012, all rights reserved.
Great post its really that simple. just 5 minutes per day to relax pure effortless relaxation
ReplyDeleteits awesome
And as those five minutes add up each day, we can hold it with us throughout the rest of the day!
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