In spiritual circles we are often told that human beings have turned into ‘human doings’ as opposed to human beings.
In part, this is very true, as we certainly have turned into a species seemingly intent on filling our every waking hours with endless activities and tasks.
Today, we are told to ‘just be’. To quit all the doing we are doing, and just be.
The instruction of ‘just being’, is wonderful and perfect. In many cases, it is just what we need to do. Or be, rather. However, it is not so much a case of what is right or wrong, but more when to apply what.
It is not so much a case of what is right or wrong, but more when to apply what
To really know this, we must know ourselves. There is no manual to follow to be able to figure this out. One must simply experiment and take note.
(Feeling overwhelmed by health choices? Check out my blog post Drowning in Health?)
Nothing is black and white, and we mustn’t neglect the doing. There is much positive about ‘doing’. Because it is through doing that we embody. It is through doing that we learn. Through doing we feel. Through doing we update our habitual patterns. Through doing we experience.
Through doing we experience
It takes lots of healthy doing to learn. The emphasis must be on ‘healthy doing’. Doing that is done with presence and mindfulness. Anything done mindfully is in effect also ‘being’. You can be present while you are doing. One needs not necessarily separate the two.
You can be present while you are doing. One needs not necessarily separate the two
Learn to make peace with both processes, and play with what works best for you. Some people feel most present when they sit on a zafu deep in meditation, others get in the flow of timeless presence when they are gardening. There is a time for both. Get to know yourself, to know when what works for you.
Happy practice,
Kirsten Louise