Late last year, I *finally* cleared my Sundays. With a work-free day available, I've decided that henceforth, Saturday will be a practice day and Sunday will a rest day (it's not the Astanga standard, but very little of my practice is these days). I often do a bit of yoga on my day off, but it's usually Yin or Restorative - something low key. I've decided that's allowable in my new scheme.
But I decided to add another, somewhat contentious, element to this day of rest: no work-work (business-related/cleaning/errands; with fun personal projects excepted) and NO INTERNET.
Originally, the plan was for 'no computers or internet' but since I've gone 'paperless', much of my life now revolves around the screen. My journaling is done on computer, my magazines live there and even many of the books and articles I read are electronic (what I can't get at the library, I buy on my Kindle).
As I moved through my Sunday, I was amazed by how often I referenced something on the iPad, even without Internet available. I keep a dream journal, jot down quotes, look up recipes, maintain a list of 'books read' and 'books I want to read', and use a meditation timer.
So, what did I actually DO with my work-and-internet-free day? Lots! I read, read, read, mostly. I finished *two* books and started two others, which kind of amazes me. I also took Princess Fur for two long walks, enjoyed a hot bath and visited my favourite South Indian restaurant for lunch. I cleaned out a bathroom cabinet, drank lots of decaffeinated-green-tea-chai and took an afternoon nap. I did some restorative yoga and meditated.
I broke my own rules and did a tiny bit of work that I had forgotten to finish yesterday and, of course, I'm writing this blog post. But frankly, I'm astounded by how much 'free time' I liberated simply by turning off the cellular connection on my iPad. No tweets, no RSS feeds, no email. I miss it, but I kinda don't miss it.
Verdict? It was great and I plan to make it a weekly event.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
6 comments:
That all sounds positively DREAMY. With two kids, I don't have the luxury of ever "resting." But I would love to (get my husband on board) and have a completely screen-free day, at least once a week, especially as the kids get older....
Getting off the internet is definitely good for you. It's really tough for me to do when I'm stressed out or stuck at home though.
Thank you for your post. Now I understand why it feels like I have no free time! Off with the internet on Saturdays!
xo
Interesting idea... I often worry that I rely too much on Internet, as I work from home with my computer and it's my favourite leisure device as well. Maybe I will try a day off as well and see what happens!
Sounds amazing. Crazy how fast the interwebs can run away with our time. Reminds me of monkey mind.
Great post!
Ah! Nostalgia for your restaurant :)
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