Dolce Far Niente

Dolce Far Niente: The sweetness of doing nothing. I first heard this Italian phrase in an episode of the old The Dick Van Dyke Show. I heard it again in Eat, Pray, Love. Americans have a guilt about doing nothing. We don't know how to enjoy it. I've never had that problem.

My yoga teacher is getting used to us now and has started telling little stories before class. My old yoga teacher, Jenny, used to do that. Today, Shiree talked about the beauty of restorative yoga and how it was a more advanced practice than we realize and how it was great that we were making time for it.

She talked about a book she was reading called In Praise of Wasting Time by Alan Lightman. She talked about how older generations used to sit on porches and things like that.

When I was a kid, we used to play games outside or ride our bikes all the time in the summer. Or we used to sit outside and talk. I remember learning my states and capitals because my dad made up a game and he would just quiz us on our states and capitals when we would sit outside in on the patio in the summertime.

My yoga teacher told us about how a student did research recently on how the most 311 calls about non-emergencies come from Harlem. How with all the new restoration and expensive homes there now people complain about noise and people sitting on their stoops hanging out talking and listening to music, like they always did before the internet culture and fast-paced business and organized activity world.

I remember when I was a kid and I would daydream or think about things, my mom would tell me to wake up because I wouldn't be able to sleep later. I would tell her I wasn't sleeping; I was thinking!

When I was a teacher and we would have meetings, I was always annoyed when they pushed us to come up with ideas for things immediately at the meeting. I can't come up with an idea that fast. I need time to think. I need to do nothing for a bit and have it roll around in my head. I need to drive or take a shower or close my eyes and think.

I remember somewhere reading that creativity is on the other side of boredom. That when we don't let ourselves or our children be bored for even one second, we are depriving ourselves of our most creative ideas. I know that if I am going to do a big project like organizing a closet or creating a lesson for school or designing my classroom, I take my time and let it roll around my head for a long time.

I think about it. I imagine it. I change my mind. I look around stores at things that have nothing to do with what I'm thinking about because there might be something there that will spark an idea that I never considered. I look up ideas on the internet. I get ideas from things that are the opposite of what I'm thinking about. I'm always glad I didn't just jump into it. And a lot happens when it appears I'm just looking around doing nothing.

Another interesting thing I remember learning about yoga a long time ago from Rodney Yee at a yoga conference is that yoga is really about opening your body and preparing it for meditation. Preparing it to get comfortable enough to sit still for a long time. Flexibility is not about stretching for movement. It's about stretching to stay still.

Something that just occurred to me this very second is the idea of stillness and flexibility in life and even dealing with anger is all about just that. I can stretch and be aware of my anger or irritation and be flexible enough to just stay still. I don't need to react. I can be strong and irritated and in pain and yet be still and comfortable. Just as in a strong yoga pose. My muscles may be tense and working, or I may even just have an itch on my nose, but to look at me, I am strong, calm and relaxed.

See, ideas and lessons come to you when you allow time to do nothing. Dolce far niete.