When I say that Yoga is not about the poses, I really mean it. To me, Yoga is about reflecting on what is blocking you from achieving your maximum potential, being your best Self. It’s about making space in your body, and in your mind, eliminating some of the noise so you can “listen in” and hear your own voice. It’s talking to us, however most of the time, it’s too noisy and we can’t hear it.
And so, with that in mind… I ask you the following:
Are you just like me? When your smartphone beeps with a text, do you have an urge to check it immediately? My truth is the following: For me, it’s become an addiction, like my coffee in the morning. I could choose to leave it as is, but once you recognize a weakness, why not try and improve?
Rewind to 1992. I was one of the few that still did not own a cell phone. I saw no need for it. I was at work 8 hours a day, people knew where to reach me if they needed me. Until one day, when I got back from a group lunch, and had 6 messages waiting. Four from my live-in housekeeper, two from my husband. They went something like this:
Message 1: “Dorit, it’s Marylou. Your son (2 years old) doesn’t look too good. Call me back please.”
Message 2: “Dorit, it’s Marylou. Your son is losing colour in his face, and his eyes are rolling back into his head. Call me back ASAP”
I’m pretty sure I didn’t listen to more than the first message at the time. I obviously got very nervous, called the house immediately, no answer. Called my husband. He was on his way home. My housekeeper had called 911, my son had had a seizure. In the end, everything turned out well, thankfully.
Once the episode had passed and I went back to work, the first thing I did was get a cell phone so I could be “reachable” at any time. A reasonable thought. A responsible act for a mother of three young kids.
Fast forward 24 years to today. Like any tool, technology can be super useful, or it can be super abused. The problem is that we live in such a connected world, that we feel completely dis-connected when we are away from our gadgets. Personally, I feel like I’m missing a part of myself, when my smartphone’s not with me. And I’m honest in saying, I hate that feeling.
Why am I sharing this? I thought that some off you, who may feel the same way, might join me on this mission to create some “Tech free” spaces in our day. Personally, I know I need my phone for client communication, which today is almost exclusively done by text/email. However most calls/texts could wait an hour, if I’d set my phone aside here and there throughout the day. I’d like to wake up in the morning and not look at my phone immediately. Why does that seem so hard?
If we’re talking about Making Space, that’s the kind of space I’m looking for. I use my phone as an alarm, so it’s hard to avoid it completely in the morning. I’m trying to turn off the alarm, and then set the phone aside as I roll out of bed to start my day with stretching/breathing. I’ve begun leaving my phone at home (most days) when I walk my dog early in the morning. I also enjoy having a quiet breakfast. No television. No radio. No Trump. No Clinton. I can catch up on the “news” later in the day. If there’s anything really important, I’ll hear about it from a family member or from a client around 8am. But my time, 6:15 till 8:00 am is sacred. I actually love the silent breakfast. The first time I experienced that was at my Yoga Training in California a year ago. At the school, there was a rule: “No speaking in the mornings until 10am”. Every day, we’d get up, wash up, get dressed, eat breakfast at big tables, together, in silence. People read. People looked out at the desert. But there was no talking. It was weird at first. Then it was bliss. I was awake, full of energy, and had time to think.
Those are the moments I am trying to re-create. Or should I say create in my life. This is what I want to make space for. A few precious moments in the morning. A few precious moments in the afternoon. To re-group, within. If I don’t create this “tech-free” space, this time for silence, then by default, all that space will be filled with noise. Do I really need that? Will it benefit me in any way? For me, the answer is no.
What would YOU like to make space for? When did you last feel amazing, relaxed, content, calm, satisfied? Where were you? Was it really the place itself that made you feel that way, or was it your mindset? Was it anything you could re-create in your day, even for a few moments?
Whatever your answer – see if you can make space for it.
Connect with me, and share your thoughts. I won’t be that far from my phone 
We really are in this together.
♥ D