Home Practice · Tue Feb 2, 2010
Recharging
On Saturday, I took a break from all the screens, cursors, and endless tidbits of information that filter through to our various in-boxes. I was exhausted and worn out, and my creativity was taking a serious nose dive. I closed my Mac, turned off my phone, and collapsed in a heap on my yoga mat. My brain was so full that I couldn’t even think clearly. Everything around me seemed fuzzy.
“Maybe I’m having a stroke,” I thought, “or an aneurism. Did I eat something funny? Can the cold actually freeze someone’s brain?” These are the thoughts that cross the mind of someone who is usually clear-headed and at the moment can’t seem to string 5 words together to make a coherent thought.
I’m pleased to report that I wasn’t having a stroke and there appears to be not sign of aneurism. I was just tired – that kind of tired where the mind just goes completely numb. the kind of tired brought on by too much thinking, questioning, and planning. Your body wants to move, though your brain can’t seem to tell it where to go. So I hopped off the roller coaster of life for a day to just be out in the world with no plans, no to-do list, and no direction. I needed to unplug. I needed yoga to quiet my mind.
On my yoga mat, I had no choice but to clear my mind. It’s one of the greatest gifts of a practice – it recharges our internal batteries. It clears away mental clutter to leave us open to new possibilities. It gives us the kind of deep rest that we need much more often than we ever allow ourselves to have.
