Lazy Days ~ Thich Nhat Hanh & Comments

Most of us have very full schedules and very full calendars. But do we have enough lazy days on our calendar? A lazy day is a day without any scheduled activities. We just let the day unfold naturally, timelessly. On this day we have a chance to reestablish the balance in ourselves. We may do walking, meditation alone or with a friend, or sitting meditation in the forest. We might like to read a little or write home to our family or a friend. It can be a day for us to look more deeply into our practice, and at our relations with others. Or we may recognize that we simply need to rest. When we have unscheduled time, we tend to get bored, seek entertainment, or cast about for something to do. A lazy day is a chance to train ourselves not to be afraid of doing nothing. You might think that doing nothing is a waste of time. But that is not true. Your time is first of all for you to be, to be alive, to be peace. ~ T. N. Hanh

Can't afford 1 day off? Even if it means starting with 3-minute time-outs of 2:1 exhale:inhale time through the day - there is true value to well-being if we nurture a place within that is calm. Use times like traffic line ups, line ups, being put on hold, and occasions that could be frustrating into a celebrated break! Reality is your perception of it! ~ A. Walt, M.A., Registered Provisional Psychologist. Too busy to sit still and quiet the mind? Try 5-minute visual meditation apps, or walking meditations (walking as slow as you can, literally and mindfully) when you have time to without going anywhere as a goal.