How has 2009 been for you? If it’s been anything like as turbulent as the events playing out on the world stage, you’re probably feeling a bit seasick! It’s almost as if the increasing craziness of our climate is being reflected in the lives of human beings (or vice versa?)
In wealthy countries, our pace of life grows ever-more frantic, and we surround ourselves with more technical gizmos than ever before. Travel on public transport, and it’s a fair bet you’ll notice that the majority of people (myself included) have some kind of gizmo seemingly welded to their hands or ears. We’re in our own little worlds, where an exchange of smiles or a chance conversation with a fellow passenger seem to be increasingly rare events.
At the same time, Australians are working longer sand harder than ever before. Many defer much-needed leave because they’re ‘married to the job’ or worried that if they relax their vigilance, they may not have a job to go back to. It seems we commit less and less time to devote to the people and pursuits we purport to value.
We seem to be running faster than ever before, but I often wonder what exactly it is that we’re running towards. I don’t think humans were meant to operate at this pace, and I wonder how long we can sustain it. From what I can see, nature seems to thrive on balance, and will do whatever is necessary to restore it when things get too far out of whack.
In this kind of situation, I feel it’s more important that ever to have some kind of safety valve; something or someone to act as an anchor and an oasis of relative calm amidst all the craziness. For me, one big anchor is yoga. Throughout my nine years of practice, I have found yoga a source of physical, mental and emotional strength and stability; a reminder that it is possible to attain some sense of inner balance, perspective and peace, even if only for an hour or so each day. For me, the fact that this sense of wellbeing is fleeting, only reinforces how important it is that I make a daily effort to return to it.
My family and friends are also major anchors in my life. It’s so easy to get caught up in my own thoughts and feelings, and to believe that what I think reflects what’s actually going on. (Most of the time, it doesn’t!) Spending time with people I value reminds me that everyone has their own ’stuff’ to deal with, and that many of my own cares and concerns aren’t as serious as I like to believe.
How has 2009 been for you? What anchors do you use to try and stay reasonably sane and stable amongst all the nuttiness?
You’re right about the gizmos. The more of them you have, the less you tend to communicate. I mean, there’s even Skype, so you don’t have to leave the house if you don’t want to. The days of standing round the piano singing “Daisy, Daisy, give me your answer, do” are well and truly over. And the Sunday roast is a distant (my distant) memory.
Mundane as it probably sounds, my grandchildren keep me sane. It’s like starting the process afresh – only without the mistakes, and the responsibility for raising them isn’t mine. What fun!
Comment by Mary — 29/11/2009 @ 9:57 pm |
I rail against the speed of everything all the time, and yet am caught up in it. Who isn’t? Feeling somewhat overwhelmed by too much INFORMATION of all kinds, I am doing an end-of-year stock take and thinking about how I can simplify my life. I am looking at what I really enjoy, what makes my heart sing, what I really believe in and what is really necessary for me to live a fulfilled life.
Writing up an article on Zen Buddhism and Ayurvedic medicine, I was reminded of how much of our energy we fritter away living in our heads and how much more centered and wise we become if we drop down into a deeper place of knowing. Rather than chasing our tails and trying to stay up with so many things from Twitter to TV, maybe it’s a case of having the courage to be a bit different and say NO to some of the gizmos and the addictive behaviours that go with them.
I am a big fan of disciplines that encourage you to get out of your head and into your body – from Zen meditation to the Feldenkrais Method – a gentle way of exploring how you can move your body as it was designed to move; with maximum efficiency and least effort.
Comment by lott66 — 30/11/2009 @ 10:23 am |
Hi Mary and Charlotte, and thanks for your comments. Maybe we should pool our sanity tips and send them up to the pollies in Canberra. I reckon a few of them could use a circuit breaker right now, given the crazy events of the last week or so!
Comment by Fiona Marsden — 02/12/2009 @ 6:56 am |