I am an only child. I have vivid memories of staring out of my window feeling intensely bored sometimes, that kind of boredom where you loose motivation to do anything at all. Or is it just me that gets like that?
As an adult I can reflect back at that time and see that it actually made me really resourceful and creative. Going on holiday with my parents I would quickly make friends, scanning the pool on the first day to see who I wanted to hang out with and then be running around playing with them by day 2!
I would come up with the most fantastical games and ideas for clubs. I spent my childhood playing fairies in the woods, imagining secret tunnels to other worlds behind the little safe door in the downstairs bedroom and forming “the nature club”, the E.T. club, the “girls only club”…..and many more.
Nowadays though, I don’t have to feel bored. At the slightest whiff of if I can reach for my phone. I can check Instagram, I can shop on Vinted, I can listen to a podcast, I can look at the news….. My mind is constantly entertained…..and as a result full to the brim. I can recognise this makes me feel scattered and I find it harder these days to focus.
How can I recognise this? From allowing space to notice.
In India I was on my own a lot. This was the plan, I wanted my own “silent retreat” but my way. I noticed that even in this beautiful setting my habits followed me, of course they day! I still had my phone, I could still distract myself even when laying in a hammock with the most idyllic view. So I purposely limited it. Many times I left it in my hut to allow my self the time to just be there.
It seems crazy to say it but there were times my old friend boredom rose up, but I allowed it. I just stared out to sea and let myself be. What I experienced was cutting out all the constant distraction really relaxed my nervous system. I just drifted, with no time scales, just tuning into what I felt I need in the moment….this varied from napping, to eating, to wandering…..to reading a book that inspires me. Eating meals with no one to talk to or phone to look at, just the most wonderful view.
I noticed more; the eagles soring, the more beautiful tropical flowers, the little altars dotted around the place, the pack behaviour of the beach dogs, dolphins in the sea, the funny character's of the crows. There were a couple of times when I did go out on my own in the evening and I met some lovely new people as a result. This would not have happened so much if my head was in my phone.
Before I went I away to be honest I was also experiencing a level of boredom with my classes. I have been teaching some of them for over 10 years and I have to admit I had stopped putting as much effort into planning them as I used to. Of course this is natural as I have a bank of ideas from experience and I also like to tune into the needs of the group, however I wasn’t trying much new.
Recognising this feeling and allowing myself the break from teaching and focusing on my own practice for a while has really fuelled my inspiration. On coming back I really felt ready to get back to life and get into action. I have changed my 14 year Hatha Flow class to purely Hatha to allow a shift in how/what I teach, I have let go of a class, and I am starting a completely new style of class (Seasonal Yoga) next week. In my classes at the MS centre I have been doing some research and have been trying new things. With my Yin class I am bringing in the Spirit of the Elements which is a new concept to me, something we have been exploring over the year at the Yoga Garden with Anne-Marie and I have been experimenting with my additional new singing bowls I bought back from India.
These shifts are giving me energy, inspiration and motivation to be planning and creating again. I have also been getting encouraging feedback from my students, although they didn’t say it before it seems like these new shifts have been interesting for them too.
So, the purpose of this blog is to invite you to;
1) Not fear boredom, instead allow it. Leave your phone at home/ upstairs sometimes and eat/ walk/ drive/ practice with no distractions.
2) Trust you have the wisdom you need with in you, you don’t have to always find it externally, it will come when you give it space
3) If you are feeling bored in a job or relationship instead of loosing motivation use it to fuel you to think “what could I do differently?” “what changes could I make?”
4) If you are feeling scattered, on edge, finding it hard to focus…..this is a sign of an over active nervous system and taking a break to do nothing for a while could be the most productive thing you could do. Even through it might feel counter productive, your energy and ideas will return when you allow space.
5) Yes we can’t all jet off to India for a month when ever we feel like it but perhaps its possible to have a weekend or one day with no plans, and a lessening of phones/ TV?
One small thing to start with could be, to start your day in silence. To get up and go for a walk outside without your phone or just to sit with a cup of tea. My teacher Norman Blair has a great saying “skys before screens”, I love this.
Don’t fear boredom instead see it as a vehicle for inspiration and connection. You never know what can come out of nothing…..
