Being Lazy

Lazy summer days.....

Laziness has a bad rap.  For centuries it has been frowned upon and the concept of sloth is considered one of the seven deadly sins.  But it can feel so good!  I remember growing up how it felt when school got out for the summer.  Not having to get up to go to school, no homework, warm weather to play outside, late sunsets meant my parents would let us stay out later…. And don't even get me started on the ice cream truck, hearing the bells as it drove through our neighborhood was a highlight!  My mother always had some activities planned for us, some day camp, and as I got older I had jobs like babysitting, delivering newspapers and working at a local park… but it didn't feel like work, it felt like a great way to make money of my own.  And it left lots of time to be lazy.

Every week we would go to the local library and I would take out a stack of books to entertain myself.  No streaming services, no such thing as the internet, and only reruns on TV, being at a screen was not a common thing, unless we were going to a movie (or during those high school years where I was enthralled by General Hospital).  Reading and riding my bike aimlessly and hanging out with friends at the pool, that was my lazy. 

According to Google a lazy person is "someone who is disinclined to work or exert effort, often described as having an aversion to activity or exertion."  That is how I feel right now.  As we hit the summer solstice, and the long hot days, exerting effort is a challenge.  So, I am going to make the case for being lazy.  In Greek a term for laziness is acedia, which can be translated as lack of care, and the implication in Greek, Christian, Buddhist and Islamic spiritual traditions is that this can be dangerous and cause harm, and prevent people from achieving their full potential.  But the condition these spiritual leaders refer to goes beyond our modern day definition of laziness... and I believe being lazy lets you get quiet enough to actually listen to your soul, and connect with that spark within you.

To me being lazy is restorative, and lets me feel into what actually matters.  When I stop "doing" whatever it is that takes up my time, and just let myself sit in a comfy chair, giving myself permission to do nothing, it recharges me.  Yes, yoga, meditation, walking and other things recharge me as well, but there is something really luxurious about doing nothing.  Alan Finger, the Founder of the ISHTA school of yoga where I trained has a podcast that is called "The Genius of Nothing".  His context for nothing is meditation, and I feel like being lazy and meditation merge at some point. 

There has been much written about the perils of laziness, and the distinction between doing nothing and being lazy is said to be your intention.  If you do nothing with intention, to rest and recharge, it is ok.  If you do nothing habitually because of lack of motivation it is not ok.  This is really such a personal distinction that can anyone really ever know who is lazy?  I have written before about the downside of constant busyness, and about taking care to not let other people define how you spend your time…. So if we judge someone as lazy doesn't that mean we are imposing our expectations on them?  Of course if commitments are made and someone continually doesn't show up as promised, that goes beyond laziness.  If someone does that and it impacts you, you need to decide what your boundaries with that person will be.  And, if that person is you, you can consider why you make promises you can't keep.  But laziness may have nothing to do with either scenario.

The thing about laziness is, if an opportunity excites you, if it ignites your spark, you will act.  If you never see an exciting opportunity you may want to look for a change in environment. I know that my definition of lazy probably doesn't qualify as acedia, or sloth.  But I know to my parents my lack of inclination to help around the house or do something productive was labeled lazy, and my expectations of myself as an adult were shaped by those judgements. Its possible that they were just jealous, because having a summer off is something we reserve for children. 

So, as we enter into these summer days I wish for you a time of childlike ease.  I am giving myself permission to exert minimal effort and let my days just flow. The heat of the season will work its transformational magic and hopefully I will find some genius in my doing nothing.

With that in mind…. I will be taking a break from the newsletter until September.  We will continue to have daily classes, and some great events (see below for more details).  Expect more fun things in the fall!