Leaving home and my regular routine is refreshing, rejuvenating and a little regressive. First off, let me tell you, I am in beautiful Hawaii – O’ahu to be exact. Looking out of the window to see the trade winds blow the puffy clouds across the sky and, gazing to my right, I see sail boats and surfers dot the ocean which rolls up against the shore. This is my fourth day here and the first that is not filled with wonderful activities; snorkeling, hiking, sightseeing, and eating.
Yes – I am here in front of a screen and tapping on a keyboard – this is also one of the disciplines I have been letting slide in my tour of paradise. Taking time for writing and for meditation has not been regular- yoga practice is sporadic and the result of desperation (my muscles calling to me) rather than routine. Loosing these anchors in my life has me feeling unmoored. The conventional markers in my day are gone. I can complain about habits and regular practices but they can also provide comfort and be the parenthesis to my day.
The days are more full feeling, but with no predetermined breaks or pauses (except for meals) I am both strangely relieved and vaguely disoriented. This lack of structure is part of the splendor of vacation. Recalling the uneven fits and starts of my regular daily schedules, the usual demarcation of days beginning and ending, and the movement from day to day I am both pleased and uncertain about being quit of them. It is hard to believe, for example, that this is Wednesday – I have lived a life time in four days and no time at all has passed.
A phrase from a book I read states “no string, no flight” and this comes to mind time and time again, that without some structure, I cannot soar. It is up to me to reinvigorate moments of discipline in my day so that I may savor the freedom that I have. So I spend some time attending to those activities that provide the scaffolding up which the art of life is draped.
Aloha!
Kyczy Hawk E-RYT200 is the author of “Yoga and the Twelve Step Path” and the creator of SOAR (Success Over Addiction and Relapse) a teacher certification training she holds with her good friend Kent Bond E-RYT500. Find out more about her and the training at www.yogarecovery.com