How good it feels to give ourselves permission...to do something out of the ordinary, to deviate from the routine, to sleep in, to take a break, to slow down.
You may notice that I'm posting this entry around lunchtime today, rather than between 5:00 and 6:00 in the morning, as I usually do. Instead of stressing about all I wanted to do before heading to a 6AM yoga class, I let myself be. I went to yoga, knowing what a benefit it is for me to start my day with movement and meditation. I wasn't sure I would have time to blog at all today, even though I've made a commitment to five days per week of writing here. But, lo and behold, V. is napping, I've responded to my students' writing assignments online, and here I still have a few minutes to write.
My experience today of going with the flow, of allowing myself to step back, of taking time for relaxation and renewal is an apt lesson for me (and perhaps for many of us). "So much to do, so little time" doesn't need to be our mantra. In fact, when we slow down, let go, and flow with what life presents to us, we often have more than enough time to do that which is important to us.
Equally beneficial is adopting this attitude with other people as well; being less onerous with others as well as ourselves allows fresh energy, joy, and ease to enter our lives. Yes, we'll likely be more productive, but more importantly, we'll all be more happy and relaxed. And, given the statistic I learned today, that 70 to 90% of visits to the doctor's office are stress related, it sounds like most of us ought to be much easier on ourselves. Start giving yourself permission.
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