HUMAN BEING, NOT HUMAN DOING
At the end of February, I co-hosted a 3 night retreat for 23 beautiful souls with the community from One Big Heart - my home away from home where I teach yoga. I have felt so inspired and creative and reflective following this experience, a testament to the power of these spaces and the magic that can unfold. On retreat we spoke a lot of about the conditioning we’ve been brought up in of doing, having and achieving more and the empty fulfilment that comes from filling up our days with more stuff, more things, and more activities. One of our guests shared some insights of her lived experience and said,
“Less human doing, more human being”.
We all closed our eyes, placed a hand on our hearts and took a deep breath in.
The simplicity of the remembrance that we are human BE-ings, and not human DO-ings. The age old saying of less is more has been abandoned in the fast paced, click of a button, comfort society that honours having bigger, faster and better of everything. This culture of celebrating little sleep, more stimulation with coffee, alcohol and empty foods to spike our energy levels to get through that last little hustle. Many of us filling up our days to minimise the risk that we might actually feel all the shit that’s been left unprocessed in our nervous system and emotional body … god forbid you might feel pain or sadness.
There’s a self-shaming conditioning and the belief that taking time to rest is selfish. Yet science upholds the value of intentional rest. The stats show us the importance of deep sleep, meditation and scheduled down time. But when the 9-5 life we’ve been conditioned to believe places some hold of value on our sense of worth and gifts us a measly 4 weeks of annual leave a year (I mean, who the fuck decided that 28 days was sufficient time for rest from the demands of this life in a 12-month period?!)… my gosh we’ve got it all wrong.
Most of us live in a state of stress, but are so used to this level of stress on the body and mind that we don’t realise it’s there. Western medicine gives us a quick fix to overcome the flu, the insomnia, the mental health disturbances and the dramatic rise in chronic illness and disease, so we can keep pushing through when actually, all we need is to stop.
To breathe.
To get into nature.
To connect.
To eat nutritious food.
To play. Oh, how did we forget to play?!
I’ve spent the best part of almost 5 years doing less. Of remembering my humanness in being, and not doing. And as result my nervous system is settled, my health is improved, my sleep is next level delicious, and I am energised and excited for life. People feel ‘inspired’ and ‘in awe’ of what I have achieved in this space, and yet it came from doing less, and being more, just as we were always meant to do.
When was the last time you stopped?
What do you fear will surface for you when you stop distracting yourself with all the emptiness of doing?
What emotions simmer under the surface when the idea of resting is presented to you?
What does the idea of doing less bring up for you?
What conditions are you living from that don’t serve you?
I live in hope of days where we sit around on picnic rugs, allowing the s=cool breese to dance on our skin, as the waining sunlight sinks behind the mountain ridge with no where to rush too, no concern for what’s happening when this moment is over, and more saviour and appreciation for what is BE-ing right now.
Less doing, more being, just as we were destined to BE.