Art of Doing NO Thing

 

  

Rest and laughter are the most 

spiritual and subversive acts of all.    

Laugh, rest, slow down.

                             

 -  Anne Lamott, Plan B: Further Thoughts on Faith

I've spent years perfecting the Art of Doing No Thing - one of the most difficult things I've ever had to learn to be.

First, I thought doing no thing was taking a day off work and lounging around the house - watching TV, reading a book, catching up on household chores.... I realized I was still doing something.   

I incorporated napping into my schedule.  I would lay there on my bed and while my body was at rest, my mind was running thousands of miles an hour.  Feeling guilty for all the things I should be doing. Not giving myself permission to just be.

I incorporated guided meditations during naptime - listening to someone's voice take me on a journey of the inner recesses of my mind - focusing on a mantra and tuning into the musical soundwaves.  Gradually, my mind slowed down.  Emptied out a little bit.  I realized that I didn't need to sleep.  I just needed to be still.

My dog encouraged me to go outside.  We would sit on the grass doing no thing - listening to the wind blow.  Feet naked in the ground - watching the tree branches sway.  When thoughts would come up, I would watch them and bid them peace and farewell.  Taking a deep breath and focusing on my environment - the luscious grass, the cool earth, the trees providing me with shade.

Laying back on the ground, watching the clouds dance.  Turning over on my stomach, observing the ants marching up and down grass stalks. A whole ecosystem below me - holding me up and providing me comfort.  Connecting my nature to Mother Nature.  It felt so peaceful and energizing.

I realized that slowing down and resting gave me more energy and stamina when I shifted into being a human doing again.

I began to seek other ways to find this delicious peace of resting - this pleasureful sensation of feeling loose and present in my body - relaxed yet aware.

I found it in laughter.   When I have a good laugh, it's like I shaHAhake all my cells up and down.  Everything jiggle and joggles and gets moved about.   A delicious chaHAhaos of breath erupts resulting in peace and pandemonium within.   

In the beginning, to have a good laugh laugh, I watched funny movies or listened to a comedian.  While that helped, it kept my mind going with all sorts of stimuli.   Laughter Yoga - laughing for no reason - brought me the stillness of mind I was seeking.  Engaging my body to function in a way that was pleasure-full to my soul. Creating a sensation of mirth within that would overflow outside of me and make a wonderful sound.

We live in a culture where we are taught to do, do, do - rest is seen as being lazy.  We live in a world of seriousness and stress.  Laughter is not the norm.  Both of these birthrights - Rest and Laughter - taken away as we grow up to fit into our society.

Yet - we seek it.  We crave it.   The pleasure of stillness - of being, resting, laughing.  When we hear it and experience it, it lightens up our soul.   Yes, Anne Lamott, I am a subversive, a pleasure Revolutionary to my core.   Woohoo!!!

Zest for Life

When I get up in the morning at the crack of dawn - the first thing I think about is - I am breathing - I am alive - Today is a beautiful day.

I am up at 4:44 am.  I lay in bed and give thanks for my breath and the fact that I am alive and able to move.   I pat my arms and legs and belly and head.  Woohoo!!!

My doggessGoddess GingerMama awaits me on her couch - belly up and tail wagging - time for hugs and loving touch.    I put on my sneakers and out the door we go.   

We start our journey through the neighborhood and serenade the moon as the stars twinkle their love to us.  We chat with the squirrels and listen to the birds communicating through calls and songs.

I love this early morning time - when there is stillness in my community and it just me and Nature (and the other dogs and their owners who are up and about).   I love walking and smelling the trees and exchanging energy with the Earth.

Slowly the sky shifts - the clouds dance - and a canvas of pinks and purples and oranges and blue emerges.   The air is fragrant with plumerias and gardenias and magnolias.  A hint of night blooming jasmine remains.    

I make a wish - I put a desire out into the Universe and then I haHAha and release it.  

We walk for an hour - walking, running, jumping -  getting my heart pumping and my blood circulating.

This is how I start my day.   I feel so blessed and lucky.  

And the best part is that I may get the opportunity to do it all again tomorrow.  Woohoo!!!

DoggessGoddess GingerMama