I found this image on Instagram, thanks to Dr. Mona Masood, DO, who has the handle of @shrink.rapping if you want to follow her.
And it struck me as particularly powerful, given our “busy is best” attitude, even after the plague, after enforced isolation, after family tragedies (what with Covid touching millions of lives, and “regular old death” not taking a holiday either). Like you, I saw the “I’m going to reorganize my house, bake all the bread, learn a new language, homeschool my kids, and be totally fit” posts that were all over social media. I will admit, I went on a knitting binge after losing a part-time job and having a bit of time where the studio was closed and we had to take a hot minute to figure out how to get classes to the students… I also baked a lot of bread, yes.
And I learned that “productivity” has lots of different meanings. Particularly after I got Covid, it had a whole different definition for me. There were days when, if I was “productive” it meant that out of 24 hours, I was awake more than I was asleep. I showered. I got up out of my chair for more than just a trip to the bathroom. I talked to someone on the phone or checked my emails.
Of course, that’s an extreme example, but it is something to think about. Now that we’re edging toward “new normal” in my area (only because the Omicron variant BA.2 is already in New Jersey, and I’m crossing my fingers that it dies out before it hits Indiana, our neighbor), I believe we want so badly to get back out-and-about that we are neglecting our need for pausing and resting. We are determined (and this isn’t a bad thing) to meet up with friends, get outside, do all the things we haven’t been able to do.
Fitness, physical activity, exercise - these are lofty goals, and I am also itching to get back on my bike to ride the trails, get back to the stable to shovel horse manure (hey, don’t laugh - it’s really good exercise!), even to go to the park and swing on the swings. I’m also happy to get back to practicing yoga without masks, including sun salutations and more active moves which were a struggle in a mask. And to embrace my interest in Yin Yoga and Yoga Nidra.
Those styles of yoga might be considered “unproductive” because they’re not active. They’re still, quiet. Yin Yoga consists of long-held floor poses, where your body assumes a particular shape and we sit with the breath and gravity. Yoga Nidra is “yogic sleep,” which many people think of as “a honking-long Savasana.” Which it’s not. It’s a state of relaxed awareness in which our body is supported, and we’re led through various visualizations, breathing patterns, and relaxation techniques. The mind stays alert, and the physical body goes into a state that can be described as a light state of near-sleep. It’s a wonderful practice, and again — not “productive,” not moving, not sweating.
Maybe we need to sit with this definition of “productivity” below. Embrace it. Learn to let go of the need to always be “doing,” but also recognize that sometimes “doing” doesn’t look like much. Even when it is.
