Get your beauty rest!

How many times have you heard it? And how many times have you done it?

The last weeks were hectic and tiring for me. I set up my website; I’m working on writing and creating my business, designing talking, learning, teaching, busy, busy, busy. Lately, I noticed that I could not get anything done except thinking of stuff that needs to be done! Tension is growing, and I feel less and less joy and energy to go and do. I feel exhausted! I lost the purpose for a moment, and I noticed that I was just doing things to get them done, but I forgot why I was doing them. Before I even knew what was going on, I wanted to quit. I began questioning everything I was doing. Distracted thoughts were popping up in my head, and all I could think to do was crawl under the blankets and stay there. I thought - I’m depressed, I feel down, and I look tired. Live what you preach! I’m good to advise fellow humans, but I was so deep in my head that I forgot to listen to myself. What happened to

‘Live what you preach’?

Do you know this saying; when you point the finger at someone else, you still have three fingers pointing back at you? According to Stephen Brown, translator; it originally comes from the Navajo People of the American Southwest. The Navajo word for a human being is bílaʼashdlaʼii, which means literally, the five-fingered one. In Navajo culture, pointing the finger is very powerful, and in most cases, it should be strenuously avoided. There are a few things that you are permitted to point at, such as rainbows. Even with rainbows, you must never point at them with a finger… you have to point with your thumb. Pointing at people is very serious. If you point at someone and accuse them of some wrongdoing, it’s considered a severe overreaction, and it will probably get you in trouble. In a Navajo court of law, the judge will admonish you for pointing and remind you that when you point a finger, there are three fingers pointing back at you. Among the Navajo, it has always been so.

I’m guilty as charged! I’m pointing at you.

I missed signs, or I just ignored them. I thought I’m ok, I just need a walk and my yoga, and all will be good. But it wasn’t. Today I totally collapsed. I did not balance my work with my social life and proper care. Every little action you repeat becomes your habit, your style, and every even little thing matter because it leaves a mark in your mind. Slowly, not taking care became my new habit.

How to get out of your hole?

I started my day like always at 5 am (in the desert, you need to be up early if you want to go out; otherwise, it gets too hot). I meditated, and after, I went for a walk with my dog. Generally, after the walk, I do my yoga practice, but today I couldn’t. I was tired, sleepy, and hungry. Sometimes, not doing yoga is yoga. I got home and just collapsed, and I slept for a few hours. I woke up extremely hungry, and I felt that I needed proteins. I’m vegan most of the time, but sometimes you have to do what you have to do, so I made myself eggs, and it performed magic on my body. I took a nice long shower, I spoke to a friend, and I feel I’m coming back towards “normal.” It is not the first time, and perhaps not the last, I abused myself for a better cause. I pushed and pushed and just became more frustrated and unproductive. Through my haze, I remembered – the most important thing is to pay attention to what your body tells you and stop running, no matter what you have to stop! Pushing yourself harder will not get things done; it will just drain you of energy. As we get older, it is even more critical because recovery from exhaustion takes longer and leaves marks on our faces. I am listening to my deeper wisdom. I am going to rest. I am going to make a Sabbath for myself. All basic yoga focuses on Breath. In and Out. Rather Out and In. The Exhale should be twice as long as the inhale, yoga teaches. In this way, one empties one’s lungs, thereby leaving more room inside the lung capacity to be able to inhale the maximum volume of air next inhalation. Please tune in next time to see whether this rest of mine, this approach to listening to myself and taking care of me BEFORE I produce anything more yields a good result. Since now I’m pointing five fingers at myself, I am going to get my beauty rest!

Wishing all of us sweet and invigorating dreams!