The Art of Doing Nothing
I am finding myself in the throes of long hot days here in Georgia. The summer heat really slows me down to the point where laziness kicks in and I lack motivation to cook, work, or simply do anything. But then I am reminded of a concept that is familiar in many cultures - the art of doing nothing.
Chinese Taoists call it Wu Wei, or "non-doing." The Dutch call it Niksen which literally means “to be idle or doing something without any use.” The Italians refer to it as "dolce far niente" or "the sweetness of doing nothing."
Doing nothing probably sounds good, but when was the last time you really did it? Turn off your devices? Stared off into space? Noticed the swell of your breath as it arises and passed? Paradoxically, the art of non-doing can be an event in itself! Mary Oliver's poem Today comes to mind when I think of the sweetness of doing nothing in summer:
Today I’m flying low and I’m
not saying a word
I’m letting all the voodoos of ambition sleep.
The world goes on as it must,
the bees in the garden rumbling a little,
the fish leaping, the gnats getting eaten.
And so forth.
But I’m taking the day off.
Quiet as a feather.
I hardly move though really I’m traveling
a terrific distance.
Stillness. One of the doors
into the temple.
From an Ayurvedic perspective, hyper-productivity left unchecked can manifest as excess heat that gets trapped and stored as tension. Layer on summer qualities that are hot, sharp, and penetrating, and your system can turn into a blaze. So a little "sweetness of doing nothing" just might be the perfect antidote to our technological, media-driven, treadmill of activity culture, especially during the dog days of summer when nature is asking us to slow down, be still, relax, and chill.
Interestingly, fighting the urge to constantly "do" takes practice, and yet, isn't that the kind of relaxation we all yearn for? When I practice "wu wei, niksen, dolce far niente," it brings me back into alignment as I find myself entering the current of life rather than resisting it. I find a wellspring of presence, inspiration, and creativity emerge bringing me back into balance. "Dolce far niente" exists within each of us and is ours for the taking if we are willing to put in the effort. Give it a try and drop me a line on how doing nothing works for you! I'd love to hear about your experience.