Can you do nothing? It's the hardest task in 21st century, that only few can do
Updated: Oct 28, 2023
Top managers and successful people now know how to relax. Or at least most of them. They understand how important it is, because without putting your mind at ease during the weekend, vacation or any free time, they cannot perform. Both physically or mentally. But how do we get the most out of our free time?
By learning how to do 'nothing'.
Being by yourself
Meditation, is what the whole eastern world praises daily. Western world, however, does not know the blissful effects just yet. The term itself, is derived from word meditation which means to contemplate. Many yoga centers now offer mediation as a part of exercise routine, but they do not do so extensively and in-depth.
Meditation is art and old known saying 'Journey is the destination' applies well here. People are learning the techniques of eastern sages their whole lives. But it does not matter whether you meditate for hours or only for a few minutes. Being in a meditative, thought-less state for few minutes is already an achievement.
Imagine that for few moments you become self-less and you do not let any thoughts pass through your mind. Is that even possible? Just this ancient method of realization of the deep-rooted truth help you align your body and mind, without being distracted by recurring thoughts.
As in every form of exercise, consistency is the key. And with meditation, this proves double. In the beginning, it is important to have the right mentor, that can guide you and show you how to achieve the thought-free state for the first time.
Meditation is a form of self-discovery and a great tool for everyday, busy person. You can practice it while sitting down, lying flat or standing on your legs. You don't need to sit in a 'lotus pose' or repeat 'oooom' throughout. On the other hand, if it helps you - great. If it doesn't, also.
Weight-free state
This state is very closely connected to the meditative state. Your mind shuts off when your senses have nothing to pick up any longer. Can you imagine being at one point without light, sound, smell, gravity, people and of course - your phone? For some, this might be unimaginable but it is possible. This therapy is called the Float or Float tank. You can try it even in Aarhus.
Float therapy was developed in 1954 by American neurophysiologist PhDr. John C. Lilly in the National Institute of Mental health in Maryland, USA. This scientist has discovered something unheard of, before.
He found so much potential in the human mind, which we have only assumed before.
He claimed that the potential is limitless.
Being in a float tank for an hour equals 4 hours of sleep. What to expect out of the float tank? Your body will dive deep into a heavily salted water, in which salinity is equal to the Dead Sea.
You will find yourself in a sound-proof, pitch-dark tank, therefore without any sensory stimuli. Your body reacts almost instantly and your mind gets a hard 'reset' after a few minutes.
Float therapy influences the brain waves and helps to connect the right and left hemisphere of the brain.
Buddhist monks are able to achieve this state after many years of training but float therapy claims to help you reach this state, after only 4 sessions.
This therapy is used by creatives - writers, designers, composers, painters, architects but also ordinary people, that want to reset their mind and body after hard work. You don't need to be a top-tier manager to enjoy the benefits of float.
In dark for a few days
In Japan, Tibet, and Vietnam dark therapy was known for thousands of years. It seems clear now, that although the Western world is much more civilized than the eastern world, we have a lot to learn from the east - in the self-development ways.
While we are explicitly focused on the materiality, they regard success as a joyful and balanced life and self-satisfaction.
Staying in the dark can last for several days and it is regarded as a holiday for your mind.
With such therapy, you do everything as you would during a normal day, just in the dark. You eat, you sleep, you can even exercise. Experts recommend staying at least three days.
It is said that darkness releases many emotions within you, and you are freeing yourself from all the negativity of the world.
These are the things from which you hide every day, the barriers that you put in front of you and basically, everything that has been stuck with you for a very long time that you still carry with you.
Some call it ego, others call it mind. No matter what you call it, in such a dark room where you find yourself alone and without any distractions, without duties, you should achieve a real reset with the help of moderate fasting.
Being with yourself is challenging.
Moreover, when you are deprived of daylight, which is natural and very important to people when your body switches to a kind of power-saving mode. Then, interesting things can happen.
Your mind detoxifies so that all the pollutants are washed out to the surface, similar to sometimes strange thoughts. No need to worry. The owners of such dark therapy rooms have a wealth of experience and will instruct you.
It all comes down to mind-set
Above these all, there is a golden rule. It all comes down to the mind-set.
The decision to reset your mind and change your mind for better does not mean that you are at a brink of mental breakdown. And even if so, who cares what others think.
It is important to realize that work is not everything and it should never, in any case, exhaust you so much that you would sacrifice your well being. In the east, total burnout is unheard of between people.
But in our extremely fast-moving, information-driven world we start to see this problem even in the younger generations these days.
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