Being vs. doing

While looking at our family photos the other day, I ran into the ones from our road trip up to Oregon. One of the stops we made was at Crater Lake National Park. Crater Lake is truly a magical place. There is something about the so blue of the color of the sky and the water that makes you feel like suddenly you are not on Earth anymore. It is big. It is blue, very blue, and it exudes a peace that is hard to describe. Every time the topic of being vs. doing comes to my mind, my memory quickly travels to this very special place.

Why is it that we humans tend to measure others and ourselves by how much we get done, how much we have accomplished in life and how much we can potentially do? It is important to stop here for a moment. "Doing" is an intrinsic part of being human. We learn to crawl, walk and talk by doing. We also grow up to, for some of us, unite our lives with a significant other and perhaps have children. It is part of our nature to create, to do and to produce. And all that is great. The flip side of "doing" all the time is the burnout effect not only on the body, but also on the mind.

Our minds have an immense potential for creation, but little is accomplished if we skip the very crucial state of just "being." When we are "being" we absorb our surroundings and and this generates insights that would not happen otherwise. "Being" can be a weekend-long retreat away from home somewhere fancy, but it can also be a set amount of time you take during the day to just be. Some practical ways of "being" are:

- Contemplation of photos, the ocean, the sky, your garden, art in a museum, your pet or children playing.

- Meditation. This can be a few minutes here and there.

- Resting by sitting or laying down on a sofa or bed without any specific purpose. No reading material or electronics involved.

Whenever you have a decision to make, "being" is the way to go. It holds the key that will unlock the possibilities that come with a clear mind. How many times have you noticed that you get the answer to something you have been thinking about the moment you least expect it? I love to take a long shower when I wash my hair. I can have the water streaming down from the crown of my head and down and around my body forever! I think of nothing. I am just being in there in the soothing sound that envelopes me. It has happened many times that when I am getting dressed afterward I have an a-ha moment regarding something I have been dealing with. I did not think about it while in the shower at all. It came to me! It was in the space made by just "being." The insight had a chance to come through, and it will then translate into some type of "doing" eventually.

We all have "to-do" lists. Now, is that to-do list so long that everyday at the end of the day you are completely exhausted and unhappy? If that is the case more than a couple of times a week, I am offering the following: Every morning before you get out of bed think of how you want to feel at the end of the day. Think of the day you want to have and plan ahead. Pick the things on your to-do list that truly need to be taken care of that day. You might be surprised to see that one or two are that important or time-sensitive. Then make decisions throughout the day that will keep you on track to feel the way you really want by nighttime.

If we find the balance between "doing" and "being," our lives will be enhanced greatly. I encourage you to do it. If you are new to it, you might feel a little awkward. Don't let that discourage you! You are not being lazy. Trust me. For years I felt in that trap. It took me many years to stop feeling like I had to be or look busy. Try different ways to include more "being" in your life and stick with the one that works best for you.

Tell me how it goes for you!

Upeksha (equanimity)

At some point in our practice of yoga we all get to the point where we do it to attain peace of mind, to reach a blissful moment, to just be, without any pressure or tug of war going in our minds due to our everyday life's busy-ness.

This is where we are reminded of one of the four Brahmaviharas, or aspects for unconditional love: upeksha. Upeksha in Sanskrit, or equanimity, is a state of even-mindedness. It sounds easy, but it does require practice and discipline to fully embrace it.

Life can be rough at times. The unexpected happens, the expected does not happen, and the unthinkable becomes your new way of living. There are curve balls thrown at us at any time during this so precious journey called life.

It is in these very trying times when we need upeksha the most.

Think of when you or somebody you know has lost their job. Perhaps it was a job they had held for several years. Or, consider when an illness suddenly shows up in your life or the life of a loved one. How about losing somebody you love? The events can be extremely difficult to deal with. Upeksha is something we learn and practice and eventually becomes our default state of mind. Meditation is a powerful tool to develop upeksha. Another way to cultivate upeksha is to stop (hard as it might be!) for a moment before we react to minor events of everyday life. For instance, the soup you are making or warming up spills over. It is very hot and you just got a big mess to clean on your stove top or microwave oven. What happens then? The normal reaction to this event is to run and even complain given the fact that suddenly you have a chore to do. Instead, count to 5 or 10. Take a deep breath and just pick up a sponge or kitchen towel and clean it. No words included. Just see it as a task you were going to do anyway. It is hard. It takes practice. But it does pay off.

One more example. It is sunny out - a beautiful day to go on a bike ride. Off you go on your bike. It is all going perfectly well. You decide to park your bike by the beach and take a stroll barefoot in the sand. When you come back after five or ten minutes you realize your bike is nowhere to be found. You know you left it there. But it is gone now. What happens then? You call somebody to come and get you and likely for the next few days you will be telling everybody about it and getting upset every time you bring the event to mind. Instead, do your due diligence of making a police report and move on.

It is not easy to practice upeksha. Sometimes it seems life is unfair and we tend to react to it. Instead of reacting to events around us, upeksha teaches us to respond to all those events around us. It is not that we don't care. It is a state of mind that brings peace. A state of mind that leads us when things get rough.

What is wellness?

It seems like wellness is the talk of the day. What is wellness?

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines wellness as "the quality or state of being in good health especially as an actively sought goal." The National Wellness Institute states "Wellness is an active process through which people become aware of, and make choices toward, a more successful existence."

There are different views regarding what wellness encompasses. However, wherever you go, you will likely find the following aspects:

• Physical

• Emotional

• Spiritual

• Intellectual

• Social

• Occupational

• Environmental

The point here is to note that whatever the aspect or aspects that you decide to include for your wellness, the main goal is to notice the interconnectedness between all of these dimensions. Learn to see how when one or more of them is "off," there will be a ripple effect through all of the rest and your overall health state will, thus, be off as well.

It is through a plan on each of these areas and monitoring step by step along the way that we reach radiant health over the long run. If supported, our bodies naturally gravitate toward a homeostatic state. A state of balanced physical health. Also, the act alone of taking care of ourselves provides satisfaction and promotes mental peace.

Be the best advocate of your own health! Take care of yourself and take your time working on each of the main areas that encompass wellness. It might seem a little difficult to get going, but once you start experiencing the benefits of it, it will become second nature to gravitate towards what makes you feel good, to do what strengthens you and motivates you. To pursue activities and build relationships and habits that make you whole.