A month ago, I jet-set away from the hectic clinical world to a quiet jungle in Thailand. My first holiday in almost exactly a year, I was a little bit lost for how exactly to “do” relaxation. And, after two flights and a harried attempt at a late night hotel check-in, I sat down on a boat to my final destination and realised it was the first time I wasn’t doing anything at all in a long time.
Our daily lives are constantly filled with things. If you are anything like me, the alarm clock is on the phone so a bleary-eyed attempt at making the offensive noise stop results in an instant update on whichever texts, emails and notifications have come in over the intervening hours of rest. Breakfast involves a solid intake of both toast and the news. The drive to work can be utilised to absorb podcasts before reading through patient files and getting on with the day. Driving home there’s more learning, a quick stop off at the grocery store while mentally checking through the day’s tasks to make sure nothing was missed. Some study before bed and then an attempt at being out-cold to the world…hindered, of course, by the thousand thoughts still spinning around in that space between our ears.
And so, chugging along in a boat crossing rough waters, feeling the unfamiliar spray of sea water across my shoulders, it was very odd to not have anything particular to do. My phone was safely tucked away in my luggage lest a jostle of the boat lead to it falling in the water. My book would not have fared well in the soggy environment. So I just watched the horizon. Thought thoughts. And it was all rather pleasant.
In true new-age wealthy Western-woman fashion, I spent my week off work at a yoga retreat. We had no hot water, no flushing toilets, and plenty of nature to contend with each day. We did our pranayamas and our asanas. We meditated and had long chats over local fruits and ginger tea. And, for our little group from across the globe, we learnt how to slow down and focus on the things that matter. We learnt that the rush of our daily lives does not necessarily serve whatever goals we have. We learnt that lots of our worries are superficial and can be left to one side. We learnt that three hours of yoga each day for five days can leave the body tired but the mind refreshed. We learnt that no-one is perfect, least of all ourselves.
I’m not suggesting a yoga retreat is for everyone. But I do think we all need to make time and space to slow down. To smell the proverbial roses. To leave our technology to one side and reflect on our inner thoughts. Because, for all the stress of work, there is so much else to live for.
