The Absolute Necessity of Doing Nothing by Judith Hanson Lasater, Ph.D, PT

We are just too busy, too occupied, too distracted, too over-scheduled.

We try so many strategies: new calendars, to-do lists, New Year’s resolutions, and endless promises to ourselves to do less.

But we don’t.

This is where Restorative yoga comes in. Restorative yoga poses are positions that are supported by props, which are still, and which are held for a long time, up to 20 minutes, unlike the classic yoga poses.

Restorative yoga is a concrete practice that is simple, easy and a very powerful tool for reducing stress.

Restorative poses have proven benefits, chief among them reducing the effects of stress in the body. This includes lowering blood pressure, improving immune function, positively affecting fertility, and reducing and sometimes even alleviating tension headaches.

You can begin now by practicing a 20-minute relaxation once a day. Lie down, set a timer, cover your eyes and totally disconnect from the world.

Letting go deeply for 20 minutes, especially in the afternoon when sleepiness and dullness overtake the mind, is surprisingly rejuvenating and can improve mood. Many workplaces are now incorporating “nap spaces” as they find it really improves productivity.

Additionally, regular practitioners of a relaxation practice report a generalized feeling of less reactivity to stressful situations at work and at home and a gradually increasing background calmness in general in their lives.

Other people claim that a daily 20-minute formal relaxation process can improve mood, and banish those common little aches and pains.

Learn to do nothing. Lie on your couch and look out the window. No music, no cell phone, no talking, nothing.

We all crave more space and the cooling balm of uncluttered time.

Invite emptiness into your life whenever and wherever you can.

Soak in the silence and stillness of a delicious Savasana sometime in your day, every day.

This practice is anything but a waste of time.

It will feed your soul and nourish your life.