Does anyone really know what time it is?
I haven't put on my Apple watch since March 14th. That was the weekend the shit hit the fan and we all retreated into our homes for the season of Covid. Time suddenly became a complex new character in our shelter in place saga. I have friends who say they cannot tell you what they did all day, time just flew by. Conversely, some so bored they are watching the clock and the days sulk on.
Sunday I read an article in the New York Times about analog time. When I was a kid, we had to sit at our tiny kitchen table and would not be excused until we could tell my Dad the correct time. There was, and still is, an analog clock above the kitchen sink. Hard to fathom that there are young people in the world now that do not know how to tell analog time, like writing in cursive or addressing an envelope, skills they no longer need in the modern world. Analog time has a certain sophistication to it. Suspense builds when you can actually hear the tick tick tick of the clock or watch the second hand make a move. Remember that scene in the movie Risky Business when Tom Cruise is waiting for school to be let out and the second hand jumps backward before it launches forward? Somehow looking at a digital clock doesn't evock the same drama, no room for interpretation. Author Deb Olin Unferth in the Times article cleverly refers to being a minute late or a minute early depending on "the tilt of her head".
One of the basic pillars of yoga philosophy is to BE PRESENT in every moment. That when you are completly absorbed and have channeled your minds attention, time no longer exists. Recall the feeling you have when you finish an amazing run or a yoga class and your surprised an hour has gone by. Being captivated deep in a book or movie that again time is suspended. A physical practice is designed to keep you present, to be challenged enough phsycially and mentally that it is difficult to think about anything other than the task at hand.
In this time of Covid, seize the opportunity to notice how you spend your time. What are the things that you are doing that are a time suck (facebook/instagram for me) and what can you fill that time with that lights you up (nature/family/yoga/reading for me). Many of us have even less time due to home schooling, work and family responsibilities. My hope is that you can carve out the precious space to do the things that keep you healthy and whole.
Donating to the causes you care about not only benefits the charities themselves, it can be deeply rewarding for you too, worth your time. This week in honor of my own kids, Hailey and Max, I made a contribution to Woof Pack Rescue the animal resuce organization where we adopted one of our dogs, Hendricks, who also works part time as my yoga assitant (pic above).
May this time in our lives prove to be memberable for bringing us closer together. Invest your time with the people and the activities that bring you joy. Hopefully that includes some yoga -- click below to spend some time with me.