Lately, I have had a fantasy about living in a place where my internet is spotty (or rarely works or only works for a couple hours in the morning. ) and friends meet face to face to sip tea for hours. I wonder if a place like this really exists. If so, it would be my version of Nirvana.
Everywhere I turn, there is something or someone reminding me about the lack of time, things I am supposed to do, or as it’s been called lately “the disease of busy-ness”. At first I thought it was a New York thing and now I think it is a world-wide epidemic. I am completely aware that I have been infected by busy-ness and I am searching for a permanent cure. I have taken many preventative measures to keep it at bay, but at the moment, my remedies are not working as well as I hoped they would against this persistent virus.
My remedies for busy-ness include many things. I have a regular meditation practice and yes, I do yoga and yes, I get more than 8 hours of sleep a night and yes I eat well and have lots of energy. Ha! And still a feeling of not getting things done penetrates me each and every day. I ask my friends in LA if they feel the same way and they say they do. I wonder if people in Montana, Hawaii or France have been infected. I have been told it is not very different.
I started asking my friends and students if they had any ideas or tips. I love learning from my students. One student shared that his family makes no commitments on the weekends. That resonated for me, so I thought I would give it a try at least for a couple of weekends. I tried it this past weekend and it was successful. When I asked myself how I felt on Monday, I felt balanced and well – a transient state. A friend told me she only answers emails at the end of the day. I liked that idea as well.
Growing up, I would hear my mother or my aunt say in Arabic, Kayf haal-ik? How is your haal? What is this haal that they were asking about? It is the temporary state of one’s heart. Literally, they were asking one another, “How is your heart doing at this very moment, during this very breath?” When I ask a friend, “How are you?” that is really what I want to know and when someone asks me the state of my heart, I would like to be able to tell them. However, there is usually not enough time to say more than “I am fine” or “hanging in there”. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could know the state of our hearts and those close to us?
Restorative Yoga, like meditation, allows my students to experience the state of their heart. They are not busy for an hour and a half and can really listen to their hearts. Even if I am instructing, I too, feel as though time slows down and I am grateful for the reprieve. Though I am assisting others in achieving relaxation, I often feel the benefits as well. If someone asked me how my heart is after teaching, I would say it’s open and light. I am grateful I am able to share this with others and appreciate that I am able to experience this deep listening each day. And especially find another cure for “busy-ness”.
June 2 is the last Restorative practice I will be teaching until September. Don’t miss it!! It will be at the new Soul Flyte in Nyack, a gorgeous new studio space!