It’s almost time to get to my desk. I’ve made one more cup of tea and put another piece of toast into the toaster. I want this moment at the breakfast table with my sweetie to last. Instead of checking what’s on the internet, or messages to answer, I flip through the pages of an outdoor clothing catalog. Catalog = downtime for me. The background photos of beaches and forests lure me into thinking about an upcoming vacation. Then the captions describing the gear seem to fit my mindset about this trip: adventure, connection, ready for anything, outlast your itinerary, up for whatever comes next. My exuberant self decides to make a collage from the words and pictures – right now! My disciplined self chooses to set a timer so I don’t blow off my commitment to my desk, which allows my calm self to quickly gather a few supplies. I notice with delight that scissors, glue stick, and stiff backing paper are readily available. I’m so glad I have made it easy to jump into art when the mood arises.
Right there at the dining room table, while my partner is still reading the news, I snip and tear, add parts of an oceans calendar for more sky and water images, arrange, and glue. It’s almost done when my phone chimes the end of my window of time. After gluing a couple of more phrases in place: summer’s last call, in uncertain times we’re still pulling forward, and I’m ready to call it good and get to my desk work. Oh! That 2nd cup of tea and the toast are still waiting. I was in a flow state and didn’t even notice them. And, of course, I wasn’t really hungry enough to need them. They were symbolic of wanting more time to linger at the table. Note to self: check in with my sensations and emotions to find out which is really asking for those second helpings.
What are your symbols of relaxed time, like my tea and toast? Are those symbols serving you well or working against other goals? Do you consult with your sensations and emotions? What is an example of letting your sensations guide what you choose to do?
Taking time to allow for spontaneous activity is a super investment in my enjoyment of life. How can you set up your time/environment/materials to make it simple? Do you need to set aside dedicated time for play?
I guide sessions of the Nia Art of Sensation Training. It’s a series of seminars, or maybe a series of mini retreats where we explore the usefulness of noticing sensations from many different angles, emotional and physical. A new series begins September 8th (and another January 6th).
How it works: you sign up for the whole series. There’s a registration fee to get on board, then an instructional fee later. We meet once a week for 2 hours – on zoom for this current training. There’s more if you want: live movement classes to test the concepts we’ve been studying that week, casual phone check-ins, resources to read or listen to. Even a discount if you act fast.
