THE ART OF DOING NOTHING

HOW TO BE A MASTER IN NOTHINGNESS

Doing nothing can be a waste of time, or it can be an art form. Here’s how to become a master, and in the process, improve your life, melt away the stress and make yourself more productive when you actually do work.

Start small: Do small nothings at first. Focus on 5-10 minutes at a time, and start your practice sessions in a place where there are not many distractions, not much noise, not a lot of people to bother you. Shut off all distractions. Try to do this every day, or as much as possible, because it is not possible to become a master witho

ut practice.

Breathing: Start first by breathing slowly in, and then slowly out. Now closely monitor your breath as it enters your body, and as it goes out of your body. When you start thinking about other things, stop that!

Relaxing: Relaxing starts by finding a comfortable place to do your nothing, Next, try the breathing technique. If you are not completely relaxed by now then try self massage.

Bathing – an advanced stage: The bath must be nice and hot. Not lukewarm, but hot. Bubbles are also required, even if you are a man who is too manly for this. Just don’t tell any of your guy friendsJ. Close your eyes, and feel the heat penetrating your

body. A hot bath is even more awesome if followed by a bracing cold shower.

Tasting and feeling: Focus on the liquid or food savoring every bit of the flavor and texture and temperature in your mouth before swallowing, and feeling the swallow completely. Close your eyes as you do this. And truly enjoy it.

Doing nothing in nature: Find a peaceful place, places with water are excellent. Focus on the natural surroundings around you. Trul

y appreciate the majesty of nature, the miracle of life.

Incorporating the Art in daily life: This is the final stage of mastering this Art. Start by doing nothing while you are waiting in line, at the doctor’s office, on a bus, or for a plane. Last, try doing nothing in the middle of chaos, in your workplace or other stressful environment. Just shut everything out, close your eyes, and think about your breathing. If you can do this, in the middle of a stressful day at work, you will allow yourself to focus more fully on the t

ask at hand. You will be relaxed and ready to concentrate, to bring yourself into a state of flow.