In the same way the body craves a detox after a big night out, the mind needs time sans electronic gadgets to fully engage in the present. You may not even realise how much time you spend behind a screen or glued to your smartphone; which makes technology pretty dangerous. Check out how powering off can help you tune in.
- Give yourself some space: When is the last time you stopped and sat in silence? Without thinking about emails, Instagram or deadlines, we mean. In a world constantly evolving, changing, growing it’s easy to get swept up in always being up to date. But those updates never cease, and if you don’t take a moment to appreciate what’s happening now you’ll miss it! Being alone is difficult in our world of hyper-connectivity. Solitude is what grounds us.
- Try this: Choose a certain time of day to ditch electronics. Instead of checking emails first thing in the morning, swap that time for a relaxing cup of tea or coffee. Maybe during your lunch hour try switching off your gadget and focusing on your meal.
- Fear of missing out: FOMO. We’ve all had it. Whether it’s your friend’s photo from a beautiful resort in Bali or your brother’s status update from the best burger place in town, technology shows us exactly what others are doing- and can bring up emotions like envy, jealousy and anxiety as we compare our own lives to our peers. In yoga we learn that vairagya, or non-attachment, is essential to finding peace in our lives. When we appreciate what we already have, the need for more dissipates.
- Try this: Each week, recongise three things you are grateful for. They could be simple, like the sun on your back or a loving look from a pet. Maybe you’re glad a certain person is part of your life- tell them!
- Maximise your time: Have you ever walked into the grocery store when all you need is milk, and end up leaving with 10 new items? Technology has the same “grocery store” effect on many of us. Imagine how much you’d get done if you hadn’t spent the last two hours perusing “healthy snacks” on Pinterest. Are you putting off tasks you need to do just to waste time online?
- Try this: Set a few goals for yourself each month. These could include things like booking your next trip, sweating three times each week, or finishing a book. When you have something productive to work towards, it puts the way you use your time into perspective.
Of course we can’t ignore the fact that technology can be very useful in our lives. Researching important topics, connecting with far-away loved ones, discovering new music- the ways that the Internet enriches our lives are countless. But it’s essential to understand that technology is just one part of our routine, and if we don’t take a step back every now and then we will miss out on what’s happening right now. What is your favorite way to unplug?
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Kula Yoga has a beautiful hot yoga studio on Camberwell Rd, Hawthorn, Melbourne. Kula offers ‘Hot Yoga’ classes for detoxification, dynamic poweryoga ‘Flow Yoga’ as well as a gentle ‘Light Yin Yoga’ option. Beginners through to advanced students are welcome to all classes. Kula also provides prenatal & postnatal yoga classes, and provides Melbourne workplaces with group corporate yoga programs to build employee health, fitness and wellbeing, and school yoga programs. Kula also runs an annual ‘Kula Cruise’ yoga retreat sailing from Bali to Lombok & the Gili Islands. Find out more on our website www.kulayoga.com.au. Or follow us:
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