Performance / Recovery
Hi sweet friends,
Summer is almost gone, and some are trying to remember the feeling of rest and calm energy that comes with vacation. It turns out, however, that the inner conditions for us to create regenerative, harmonious relations within ourselves and with others begins with a basic principle: the cycle of action and recovery. We are meant to draw on both in our lives, in a balanced way. When our external environment gives rewards for work, work, and more work, it is hard to remember the need and imperative to also rest and recover.
At home and at school, you were taught to “work harder” if you didn’t get the result you wanted. However, “work harder” becomes a belief hard-wired in your brain, causing negative effects on your wellbeing at the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual levels. The energy of always “work harder” is opposed to the concept of regenerative and harmonious relationship with yourself and with others.
In other words, when you balance your recovery and action, you are naturally good medicine to yourself. You allow the universe, nature, to partner with you by allowing yourself to not just do, but also to receive energy. Your balanced wellbeing pauses the story of needing to do lots of heavy lifting, reminding you that you definitely don't have to work harder all the time. In an indigenous perspective, when you operate out of your inner wellbeing, you receive more, instead of doing more. You support your wholeness as a human being, physically and spiritually.
When we align ourselves at the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual level, we create harmony and allow ourselves to be regenerative. It is actually simple – Each morning, my Mom would ask me, “Did you sleep well?”. I would say “Yes”. Then she’d say, ”Eat your breakfast, so you have energy to study and play with your friends at school”. That is the core wisdom of recovery to support action. When you are providing for your inner conditions for harmony and regenerative relationship with self and others, you "receive more" instead of "doing more."
Do you like this principle? I rely on it, and I find there is definitely a desire, by my business clients and community, to be in harmony and balance. When our larger society rewards action/action/and more action, we get out of balance and reduce the essential recovery. If you don’t get back in balance, you will find that you get tired more easily, you get overwhelmed by the number of things that you think you should do, you can feel frustration and anxiety building, you increasingly lose your ability to perform.
Tell me in the comments if you feel like you're in balance right now with performance and recovery. [Note: See her Facebook post here.]
Sending love,
Anita