On Pause

Friends,

We just returned from a five-day summer respite in Sag Harbor, where I used to live. Happily, there was no agenda other than to see a few dear friends and to spend time with my sweetie during his birthday week.

What a gift to be away from the more significant farm projects (building a fenced-in riding ring) and the routine activities-- filling hay bags, animal feedings, and caretaking.

Importantly, I substantially unplugged from technology and spent an incredible amount of time "doing nothing" beyond yoga and sunrise meditations.

"Doing nothing" would have sent me into a tizzy just a few years ago. I used to think my worth was directly measured by how busy I was.

I now know better. I now understand that being busy does not always equate to being productive. Moreover, just as sleep is essential to your mind/body regenerative processes, so are the pauses we take—even small breaks in the day, or a whole day a week. Like the Sabbath Day. I'm still learning.

Studying Ayurveda has dramatically deepened my insight into how vital rest is to your overall health and well-being.

Let's face it; we are a society that is "always on, and constantly on the go." Our culture values productivity above all else, especially in the United States. We more resemble "humans doing" rather than human beings.

It may seem counterintuitive, but rest is essential for our productivity. Downtime fosters the up-time. It allows the mind to be free to wander and wonder, and that is what fosters creativity. The oft-used muscle training analogy works well here. Just as muscles need a recovery period to build and regenerate, so does the brain.

I spent time thinking about what I wanted to focus on this coming year and how to better show up for my children, my partner, my friends, and my students.

For years, I would free up some time in my schedule and immediately fill it with two new things. Perhaps you can relate to this.

From now on, I have committed to small moments of downtime each day. I have accountability around this by a) telling Eric that I want to do a yoga Nidra meditation each afternoon and inviting him to join me, and b) by writing it to all of you in this newsletter.

I also commit to having an actual "day off" each week from tech, work, and "busyness." I will put it in my calendar, so I will be less likely to "fill the space" with new commitments.

I look forward to being able to tell someone when they ask if I can do something at a particular time, "Oh, I'm sorry. I'm doing absolutely nothing that day."

with so much love and rest,

Kari