In yoga the clock never stops, time is fleeting and if we get stuck in a moment we end up not appreciating and fully living the next. But how in a world where time is filled with busyness, notifications, schedules, 24 hour gratification through nonstop delivery services and vendors ... GOING GOING GOING. I was reminded of this when the 7 days of spring break with my favorite people in the whole entire world, my family, came to an end. When we started 7 days sounded like so much but went by so quickly.
Each day of spring break we dived head first to everything our destination had to offer, engaging and experiencing from morning to night - surrounded by others doing the same. Not a phone in sight except maybe to take a picture to capture the moment in time. As we nestled back into reality again and its surroundings I was reminded that much of the time that our society spends is stuck inside a tech world. That's what I love about the practice of yoga ... no headphones, no screens, no outside noise - just you and the mat. Just you and your core self. Time for reflection, time for breathing. If we all could move off the grid, living off the land and finding answers to questions through nature and movement. It would be lovely to have this all the time but it is 2024, I do live in the suburbs, my kids go to public school, I shop at a grocery store ... so how can there be a balance of this quiet, of this peace along with the ever changing ever growing tech world that has become our living space?
What if we started with time? T.I.M.E that is. Number one New York bestselling author Dr. David Perlumutter covers T.I.M.E in his book Brain Wash. Brain Wash is intriguing for everyone, not just yogis. It hits upon how in our tech world our brains are being manipulated by the intricacies of all the facets of digital media, think not only social media but ease of convenience through online shopping, delivery, gambling, dating and so on - not to mention the advertisements and algorithms that play behind the scenes. Dr. Perlumutter lays out an easy to remember test to train yourself to really think about your interactions with tech, the test of TIME. As I dove into the research behind the ideas of T.I.M.E and started applying it to my life, it was clear that the test could be applied to so much more - relationships, food, books, finances, hometasks and such. By applying the test, the reality of what is really important in the moments of time and life become clear.
Test of T.I.M.E:
Time restricted - Definitely best when used for digital use but also when it comes to hometasks, exercising and even quality time with people. Create and abide by a window of time for accomplishing your "goals".
Intentional - What are you hoping to "get"? Before engaging in an action ask yourself is it beneficial to you?
Mindful - How does your use/interaction make you feel? - Happy? Inadequate? Jealous? Tired? Empty? Fulfilled? Lively? Smart?
Enriching - Does it add to your knowledge? Does it better you? Or is it just a distraction, habit or check list?
Written By Brooke H.