It's natural to protect ourselves; if we open up we don't know if we'll be accepted by the other person. One of our ways of protecting ourselves is by staying very, very busy. We don't hold still because it's dangerous. When we create space and stillness that's vulnerability. When we step out of scheduled time, when we stop doing so much, then we get in touch with what we've been running from.
In the Tibetan tradition there's a teaching that "busy-ness is the ultimate form of laziness." It's easier to stay busy than to stop doing and be with oneself. We speed around, doing doing doing, on our way somewhere else. It's really an avoidance tactic. It keeps us from the places that most need attention. It keeps us from the places that are tender. It keeps us from the places that are creative.
When time is structured we leave ourselves; we become this small, doing self. We need unstructured time to dream. We need space to let the journey and adventure happen. Children without unstructured time don't develop in a healthy way.
-- ideas from Tara Brach's podcast
"You are more than your plans for the day"
Invest your energy down and in. Forward bends, child's pose, restorative poses. Busy-ness feels like energy moving up and out. Instead, invest your prana down and in. -- idea from Karen Sprute-Frankovich
When I rise,
let me rise joyful
like a bird.
When I fall,
let me fall without regret
like a leaf.
-- Wendell Berry
