Tuesday’s blog was for those hoping to “unplug” more in the New Year (wholelivingdaily.wholeliving.com/2012/01/tethered-to-your-smartphone-the-internet-read-on%E2%80%A6.html). How does one prone to over-using the Internet or text messaging find that healthy balance between taking advantage of the valuable resources these means of communication offer while not sacrificing the ability to be present and centered? Like all habits, the ability to change them can be reinforced by establishing simple systems.
In addition to shutting down my phone and e-mail at committed times, I’m unplugging by intentionally letting myself get lost. Actually, it’s more like letting myself get lost in order to actually be found.
So, what exactly does this mean? Taking a little extra time to treat yourself to something you might not normally do, maybe even something entirely impromptu. You might unexpectedly break up your day and go for a substantial stroll, without a phone. Or, have an impromptu visit with a friend. Maybe take an extra hour on your way home to treat yourself to a massage, facial, or pedicure. (It’s good to indulge from time to time!)
A wonderful way I recently let myself get lost and found was with a random visit to the library. Shockingly, I don’t think I’ve let myself roam bookshelves without a specific purpose since high school. I wove my way through the fiction section, followed by the periodical section, and eventually into the vast nonfiction selection, where I lingered for quite a while.
Browsing one book would lead me to truly peruse another in a manner that would never occur in a bookstore or on Amazon. My senses soaked up the inviting communal silence; as well as the nostalgic feeling of books encased in classic plastic covers along with the incomparable scent and texture of softened edges that well-read books wear so perfectly. It was a centering, and educational wandering back into a hands-on, tactile world I’ve not only come to overlook, but truly miss.
Yoga brings stability and calm into every discipline of Sophie Herbert's life. She is an alignment focused yoga teacher (and perpetual student) and a Whole Living contributing editor. She graduated from the Cooper Union School of Art, where she nurtured her passion for documentary photography. It was during this time that she began her disciplined and diverse study of yoga in New York, Paris, and India.
Sophie has lived, studied, and volunteered extensively in India. She feels grateful to still visit and work regularly with the Deenabandhu Children's Home in Chamarajanagar, Karnataka. In November of 2010, she became an ambassador for Yoga Gives Back www.yogagivesback.org, a grass-roots nonprofit that helps destitute women and girls in India build more sustainable lives. Sophie has also shared her knowledge of yoga at the Prana Yoga Center in Astana, Kazakhstan. Currently, she teaches at the Park Slope Yoga Center www.parkslopeyoga.com in Brooklyn and privately. Sophie is also an avid cook.
