Escape – body, mind and soul

When you get right down to it, what we all need is a place to go… A place where we can escape the noise of our lives and just relax.

~Takayuki Ikkaku, Arisa Hosaka and Toshihiro Kawabata, Animal Crossing: Wild World, 2005

At some point last year, most of us felt like running away, burying our head under the pillow or yelling “Stop the world – I want to get off!”

I know I did.

The end of another big year, filled with festivities, celebrations and well – Decemberings - can leave the strongest and most resilient of us a little tired. For the rest of us, ’shattered’ is probably a little closer to the mark.

And so another year begins, and with it the glorious month of January. A time to make plans, set goals, clean out cupboards, get kids ready for a new school year and of course those ubiquitous resolutions.

Or is it?

OK, some of the stuff does have to get done. The kids need to be readied for school. That deadline won’t wait. But the rest? Who says it has to be done now?

For me, January is a month of escape.

Escape routine.

Escape expectations.

Escape ’shoulds’.

Definitely escape morning madness and the preparation of school lunches.

Step Back and Take Stock

January is a great time to retreat a little. To take time out and simply be. To notice the sunset. To feel the sand between your toes and the pull of the waves on your body. To play games with your children. To take naps. To sit and read in companionable silence. To share dreams with the one you love. To sip something cold and bubbly as the heat of the day dissipates and the moon rises.

It’s a time to listen, really listen, to the hopes and dreams of those you love.

Most of all, It’s time to listen to what your heart has been longing to share with you, only you’ve been too busy to listen.

You Cannot Pump Water from a Dry Well

If you’re out there, all year long, looking after everyone else – who is looking after you?

You have a solemn obligation to take care of yourself because you never know when the world will need you.

~Rabbi Hillel

We run ourselves ragged and then wonder why we fall in a heap… the well needs constant, dedicated and abundant replenishment in order for us to be the best that we can be.

January is when I do the total overhaul, noticing what needs attention, fueling up for another busy year. Doodling, writing, dreaming, walking, or simply sitting…

It doesn’t have to be January for you – but it does need to happen. Regularly and consistently we need to top up our well. With love, with energy, with positivity, with rest, with passion, with gratitude, with joy.

An Annual Deep Clean and Reload

We all know it is important to look after ourselves. We’re good at pointing out to our friends that they should take some time for themselves. “Lock the bathroom door and soak” we tell them. “put your feet up” we tell them. “Here’s a book/movie/CD to help you relax” we generously give.

But let’s be honest here. How good are we at doing that for ourselves? We wait for a girlfriend or a sympathetic husband to notice how worn out we are (and of course, recognise how much we’ve been doing) and to order us to take care of ourselves… it seems we’re not very good at giving ourselves permission to rest and reload.

I want you to say out loud – “(your name) I give you permission to take a break. I am ordering you to take care of yourself. (Your name) – you deserve it.”

Now say it again, like you mean it.

Plan to take 10 minutes, or 10 weeks – whatever it takes to restore you to full operating capacity. Once you’ve given yourself permission, doors will open. Space will magically appear. Time will slow enough to fit it in.

Right Now Is All You Have

When you take that break – when you escape from your overloaded schedule or to-do list – even for 10 minutes, do it mindfully.

Often what we wish to escape is our past, or future. We get so wound up in what might happen, what we have to do at some future point – be it an hour or a year from now, that we tie ourselves up in knots in the here and now.

For example, think back to last month. When did you start thinking about Christmas – planning, shopping, making lists and checking them twice?

If you’re like me, it was well in advance of December 25th. I am not saying don’t plan ahead, what I am saying is that life can shoot past us at warp speed when our attention is fixed at some point in the future.

The trick, if you can call it that, is to enjoy now. Right this very minute. Be here and present with your plans for 2009. Don’t get wrapped up in the future – relax and enjoy the planning process now.

Similarly, relax and enjoy your time of rest. Submit body, mind and soul to an afternoon nap. Relish the feel of sand between your toes. Love the bliss of escaping into a rollicking good book (Marj has some great ones in the Reading Space this month). Savour the taste of that fresh mango, the juices running down your arm.

When you escape, do it body, mind and soul.

How will you escape this month? Please leave a comment and share – who knows who you’ll inspire!