Beyond Boredom

In our get-it-now, no-downtime culture, doing NOTHING is considered unproductive and unimaginable.  We’re texting, eating, and learning Spanish while driving, and scheduled from the moment we wake up until the moment we sleep. Ironically, we’re rushed to get to our yoga class and we self-medicate with food, drugs, and alcohol to overcome our hectic lifestyle. Heck, even our yoga classes have become a series of seamless movements with little stillness, save the last pose of shivasana!

To re-connect with my sense of inner peace, I occasionally take what I call silent retreats – a set amount of time where I step back from all forms of interaction with the outside world.  Many people have asked me 2 questions about these retreats:
  1. Why do you do it?
  2. How do you stand it?
Learning the art of being bored can be challenging, for sure.  What could possibly be the benefits?  Well, I’ve discovered that just on the other side of boredom, if I can tolerate it, lies peace of mind and a connection to “something beyond the concerns of my daily life,” as Geneen Roth says in “Women Food and God”.  Many of us fill our schedules in order to feel accomplished and successful, and unfortunately that often puts us on a treadmill of chasing more success, more achievements.  And yet, underneath those achievements and met goals, there often lies a sense of “is this all there is?”  or “is this what I’m REALLY meant to do?” that nags at us.

That nagging sense can only be addressed and abated by meeting what lies on the other side of boredom.  We must create space, both physically and mentally, to allow the answer to that question, which varies for each of us, to come.  As long as our lives are filled to the brim with activities and stuff, that nagging sense will follow.

Here are some of the favorite ways to avoid boredom or downtime that I’ve either tried or heard about:
  1. Learning Spanish during commute
  2. Cleaning, dusting, re-arranging furniture or knick knacks while waiting for guest to arrive
  3. Picking up the phone and calling someone when you have a spare moment
  4. Scheduling something every night of the week and/or weekend
  5. Eating when not hungry
Are any of these familiar to you, too?  Stay tuned for more info on the loveliness of silence and stillness.

Posted by Stephanie at Friday, June 11, 2010 9:15 AM
Categories: Retreats, Relaxation, Happiness
Tags: joy inner peace happiness detox
 

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