Heart to Heart: Riding the Wheel

I have fallen off the wagon. The ‘do-nothing’ wagon, that is. I realized today very suddenly that my resolutions had fallen away and I had got caught up again in the ever-turning wheel of things that need to be done, as if I could somehow slow or stop this wheel from turing. But this wheel never stops, or slows—all I can do is step away from it for a rest before it grinds me down like a millstone grinding flour.

The problem with riding this merry-go-round is that I wind myself up with lists and chores and actions to take, and then take my frantic revolutions out on the people I love most. I make them ride this wheel too, and maybe they will start to think that they can only be loved for what they do, not who they are. I know how this feels, and I know how wrong it is. So the only thing to do is to jump off, now!

Resting every day is a chance to be still and unproductive, like a fallow field. I’ll grow and harvest more, if I rest regularly. I may not do some things, but perhaps I’ll actually have a better experience and leave a better impression on my children this way. I just need to keep not doing.

-- Tristan Boyer Binns
Tristan Boyer Binns is a Certified Iyengar Yoga Teacher. She teaches in Newtonville, MA, and loves the slightly dreamy, unfocused look students have coming out of Savasana. When people have that look and also a buzz of energy in their hearts and limbs, she knows the class has been a good one!

Comments

[mdenise@custom stickers printing]

Periodical rest is needed to reassess things - goals, achievements, failures, blessings - everything. I believe it's necessary especially for those who seem to work 24/7. R&R is different from this periodical rest, IMO. The rest I am referring to (and I think you are too in your post) is when you stop from performing any stressful and strenuous activity. Sometimes we are so caught up with our hectic schedules that we forget why we are doing what we are doing. If we don't rest for a while, we might completely lose track.