The do less edition

You may have heard me share this wisdom from one of my favorite yoga teachers of all time, Dr. Judith Lasater:

                        “I know you can do more. But can you do less?”

Honestly, one of the most thought-provoking things I have ever been asked, period.  And earlier this month, I was reminded of this when I spent two weeks on a break.  It was my annual two-week “vacation” at the end of the Spring busy season.  In years past, I’ve spent this time in Italy, on yoga retreats around the world, exploring Europe, and enjoying downtime in Turks & Caicos.  And the truth is, for a good part of the year I was planning a big adventure for this time.

But that didn’t work out, and I found that I was not interested in planning a big ol adventure somewhere. So I kept the time off, and stayed in California and had some local adventures.  I did work a little bit, because it was necessary.  My partner and I checked out a fabulous resort we hadn’t been to and got ourselves an oceanfront room for the weekend.  I went to the spa.  I invited myself to Lake Tahoe with a friend and her kids.  I didn’t set my alarm.  I went to the gym in the middle of the day.  I took naps in the hammock.  I read books and watched Netflix shows.

And when it was done, I felt rested for the first time in a long time.  I’m better prepared to tackle the changes that are coming our way (more on that in future notes).  My inner explorer is now really interested in going somewhere again.

So perhaps you don’t have two weeks to take off and spend at home, or perhaps your home is not a restful place.  What I invite you to consider is the value of giving yourself a break from the demands of your daily life.  And if you’re not sure…well, maybe start with a lunch break 🙂

Stay well, keep moving,

Tricia


PS - I’m still out there trying new things this year!  This one was an old thing I just haven’t done in a few decades—a ropes course!