Thoughts on Yoga
Finding Your Peace
2008-01-13
Every year about this time I buy a new calendar to put in my backpack. What does it say about me that my calendar gets smaller each year?
Personally I see this as a sign of living better and better. The things I truly want to do I don't need to write down, and those things I don't want to do get fewer and fewer.
How does this happen? Not by accident. I have been "working" on simplifying my life for a long time now. In the first few years my planners got bigger and bigger. One was so big I had to take a day-long seminar to learn how to use it. The method including getting every thing on a list and assigning priorities "A,B,C" and then sub-priorities "a-1, a-2, a-3, etc..." This was supposed to simplify my life.
At the time, it was an important discipline and training for me. I used the method for years and years. It helped me get a lot of tasks done. But simpler my life did not get. I did not have peace, I had busy-ness. And I did not savor life enough.
I learned that to be efficient and busy, load up your calendar. But to be peaceful, happy, and effective, clear it out.
We really need to look at the illusion that getting things done is the way to peace and fulfillment. Everyone seems to be doing the same things, getting busier and busier. But in general are people getting happier? Studies consistenty show that people in the US are not as happy now as they were a generation ago.
Practicing being peaceful makes you a contented person living a peaceful life. When you pause and think about it, striving and hurrying are in direct opposition to peace. So you have a choice.
How frequently do you get away from noise, clutter, talking, work, responsibility, traffic, news, entertainment, books, computer, phone, internet, and endless other demands on your attention? Are you ever truly free from these things?
Only in peace and quiet can you really rest and reflect, which are essential to health and well-being. In life you "must be present to win." You need to be relaxed and at peace to savor your life and be truly rich.
Entering a tranquil environment and paying attention to yourself there are all that are required to bring simplicity to your life, your mind and your calendar. The more frequently you can manage it, the better. Coming to yoga class works for many people, of course. So does spending time outdoors (away from motorized vehicles and crowds), making art, meditating, and cooking a leisurely meal in a quiet kitchen.
If you want peace, you can have it. Consult your calendar. Perhaps cross out a few things. How many times in the next week can you get to a quiet place, rest and reflect?
Maybe we'll see you at a yoga class or two.