Being Outranks Doing

"Mindfulness is simply being aware of what is happening right now without wishing it were different; enjoying the pleasant without holding on when it changes (which it will); being with the unpleasant without fearing it will always be this way (which it won't). 
-James Baraz 

I got this idea of being outranking doing from The Yoga Way to Radiance. This book is all about using a yoga mindset with our children. It has so many great ideas and tools for working with children but I also found many great tools for myself. Shakta Khalsa says, “We have mental habits of constantly busying ourselves. Our brains are like computers with too many tabs open.” I find this to be especially true this time of year. The holidays can be such a fun, joyous time. They can also be busy, with many people needing our attention and a seemingly ever-growing to-do list. 

This week our yoga practice on and off the mat will focus on our ability to just be. We’ll look at how a mindfulness practice can actually increase our productivity. It seems counter intuitive to take ten minutes to ourselves to just “be” when our to-do list runs on and on. However, taking this mindful time can actually help us. For a few years now I have been struggling on and off with finding the time to meditate. I realized recently that I don’t always have to sit and listen to a meditation video for 20 minutes in order to have found time to be mindful. I looked at my day and realized there was an afternoon slump happening where I was always looking to grab caffeine in order to re-energize. I decided I would try to do a quick 5 minute guided meditation at this time of the day instead of grabbing caffeine. It has made such a difference in my energy, productivity, and mood.  

Other ideas of when to sneak in some meditation and mindfulness would be in the shower, in traffic, on the train, on a walk with your dog or kids, or right before bed. Meditation is one part of a mindfulness practice however being mindful is all about shifting from being caught up in our thoughts to being aware of our thoughts. So this week’s call to focus more on being than doing is less about sitting still and focusing on the breath for periods of time and more about checking in with ourselves and noticing when our thoughts are getting away from us. 

Here are some affirmative statements from “The Yoga Way to Radiance” that we can use to center ourselves before taking action. 

I am willing to allow myself to be as I am. 

I am willing to let my child be as she or he is.

I am willing to not know how to handle everything on the spot.

I am willing to let everyone have his or her own opinions. 

I am willing to give myself time to grow and heal.

I hope each of you find a few moments to just BE this week in whatever way works best for you!