BEING VS DOING

You might already have heard that we are human beings and not human doings? And yet, we are experts at doing and not so good at simply being. Hm…

Once, at a meditation retreat, somebody said: “I find it challenging balancing the Being and the Doing in my life, do you have any advice for me?” The teacher simply answered with a smile: “Just go for the Being, trust me, the Doing will take care of itself!”

We live in a fast-paced world, most of the time bombarded by info and news, opinions, gossip, challenges, and pressure coming in from all angles. This is true for adults and also for many children. I think it is common to feel unimportant, or maybe even boring, if we are not doing something all the time. It is as though we appear more interesting and “successful” if we are super-busy, going from one thing to the other, and succeeding in juggling whatever is on our schedule every single day.

In Being mode, you just stop, take time to pause and breathe, and you are present. And that’s it. This is a practice, and this same teacher also said repeatedly: “Do not underestimate the value of your practice”. It is as if life opens up to you more and more as you practice.

Some people talk about struggling with their work-life balance, or say they are living for their weekend, or their holiday. You can only live in this moment (and not at a better time in the future!), so wouldn’t it be great if it was possible to enjoy every single moment? I am not certain how much of the day I find myself in Being mode, but from practicing mindfulness meditation and yoga, I can see I used to be in constant Doing mode. That was not good for me, my health, and probably not for the people around me either.

My recommendation is getting into the routine of giving yourself a 10-minute daily dose of Being. You can be sitting or lying down, closing your eyes if it feels comfortable for you, and then just follow your breath as it moves in and out of your body. If thoughts, emotions or body sensations come up, just notice this without judging or criticising yourself in any way. Your experience is your experience, so nothing that comes up can be wrong. You and your health will love this time off!! And the more you practice, the easier it gets to appreciate and benefit from all the wellness that comes with Being. You could start today ❤

Posted in

Annette Wiik

My name is Annette. I am a Yoga Academy Certified Teacher (BWY-Accredited School) and started practising Hatha Yoga over 20 years ago. Holding a certificate from Bangor University to teach mindfulness-based courses, I incorporate my knowledge of mindfulness meditation in all my yoga classes. I have two grown-up children.