What is relaxation? Relaxation is the state of not pursuing change. Relaxation is essential for our health as we cannot be working towards anything all the time. There are periods when we need to allow things to be as they are and rest. Letting Go is the conscious action, the choice, of letting things be as they are. Non-Action is the choice to allow things to remain as they are. Letting Go is ‘Actively Active,’ Non-Action is ‘Actively Passive,’ and Relaxation is ‘Passively Passive.’<\/p>\n
Letting Go can be physical, as in releasing the tension in your body as you lay in bed trying to sleep, or it can be a mental act, such as choosing not to confront someone. We Let Go to practice Non-Action. If we have Let Go in earnest, we move closer to Peace as we have fewer things to change. If we bury it deeper instead of Letting Go, we will continue to feel compelled to act through emotions such as anger. We will not be able to relax and move further away from Peace.<\/p>\n
Relaxed states are beneficial for us beyond physical rest. While we are not actively engaged mentally and emotionally, it is easier to sort out the issues at hand and find inspiration on where to focus our energies next when it is time to engage. Giving ourselves mental breaks is just as critical as physical breaks, and they need not be glamorous or extensive. A bit of daydreaming, music, doodling on the edge of a page, or whatever activity gives you the time and space to not be actively working can be beneficial.<\/p>\n
Balance is important. Just as we are not always in a non-judgmental mindful state, we cannot always be in an active working state. The importance of flowing between action and non-action, work and rest, cannot be overstated. Your River of Life will look different from mine, so your specific balance will be unique to you, but finding and maintaining it is critical. You may need many short breaks throughout the day or one long one at the end. You may need work that is demanding and requires the utmost out of you or work that isn’t so stressful. Either way, it’s ok.<\/p>\n
Relaxation, Letting Go, and Non-Action bring us closer to Peace by reducing the number of things to change. We Let Go of big and small stressors, even temporarily, to give ourselves time to relax by practicing non-action. By relaxing, we allow ourselves to recharge and re-engage with a clear mind. We also better understand what is worth re-engaging and what is worth Letting Go of permanently, thereby reducing stressors altogether. Relaxation is a crucial skill to practice on the path to Peace. Be Peaceful; you are worth it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
What is relaxation? Relaxation is the state of not pursuing change. Relaxation is essential for our health as we cannot be working towards anything all the time. There are periods when we need to allow things to be as they are and rest. Letting Go is the conscious action, the choice, of letting things be […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[337],"tags":[312,329,324,330],"class_list":["post-28266","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-the-mindfulness-journey","tag-312","tag-acceptance","tag-peace","tag-rest"],"yoast_head":"\n