The Mindful Nepali

“When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you.” Lao Tzu

When was the last time you did nothing for half an hour? No, I’m not referring to procrastinating-we all do that. What I mean is, when did you last set out intensionally to do absolutely nothing? If you are finding it hard to figure it out, you need to get some experience of ‘doing nothing’ under you belt!

In today’s world, being busy is associated with productivity, and slowing down is often related with being lazy or unproductive. Yet, checking up on one’s state of mind and becoming aware and then directing energy into what’s truly important may in fact be more beneficial than detrimental.

Turn off everything and try sitting still for 2 minutes. If you successfully manage to do that, next time push for 5 minutes and 10-15 minutes after that. See if you can do this on a regular basis.

Do you have a habit of checking up on your phone every 5 minutes or even less? Do you feel the twitch when you aren’t near your phone and feel the impulse to do it even when you know there’s hardly any new notification?

Try putting your phone in another room and stay away from it for 10 minutes. Also, next time there’s a new notification, don’t check on it until after 10 minutes have passed.

Are you constantly ruminating about the past or anxious about how future events might unfold? How often do you live in the present?

Next time you are pondering on the past or predicting the future, will you be aware of your inclinations and bring yourself back to the present moment? How long will it take you to make that transition? It’s OK if you keep getting lost. The secret is to start over again. And again. And again.