Yoga Unplugged

Yesterday, I made a huge decision.  This decision may even be bigger than my sabbatical and transition to Israel in the coming months. 

 

The decision has been building for months.  I have been noticing my inability to sit still without looking at my phone, the increasing anxiety with every email I continuously checked placing my mind in a constant state of anticipation for when I would have the time to respond.  In short, as much as I tried to resist, there was a feeling that I am “missing something important” which kept me hostage from being in the present moment.  I started to tune into my nervous system and realized that it was taking its toll.

 

I realize that it is not my phone’s fault, but my personality and predisposition towards being easily distracted and worrying.  In Ayurveda, this would be called a Vata imbalance.  Vata refers to the element of air – which is cold, dry, constantly moving and ungrounded.  I have been noticing that for me, the constant ability to download information and be reachable can overload my system to the point where I feel overwhelmed. 

 

Do these devices really save us time?  I don’t know about you, but with a smart phone in hand I feel like I have less free time than ever.

 

Instead of checking my email all day, I will set aside a specific time each day dedicated to responding to inquiries.  I will try to be where I am in each moment and focus on what is happening now.  I will find more opportunities each day to look around at the world and at people around me instead of down onto a screen.  

 

Another opportunity (and a lot less drastic) to release tension and focus on presence is by going on retreat.  The Yoga for a Happy Back Retreat is coming up next month and will be a sweet taste of how life can be different when we let go just a little bit more.

 

Let’s be present together.  Join me at Mount Madonna in May.

 

All the best,

Rachel