What Makes A Good Day Off (Preya & Shreya)

Nothing Planned

Today I have a day completely free of scheduled work. It seems like the first one in ages! It got me to thinking about what makes a 'good' day off? What's the best way to feel like you've recharged your batteries and made the best of your time? 

my sleeping tutor

An Interpretation

The Upanishads teach us about the concepts of 'Preya' and 'Shreya': Preya being what is pleasurable, and Shreya is what is necessary to our wellbeing. That's not to say that necessary things can't be pleasurable, but I've been pondering these two a lot recently, and so when it comes to a day off I need to ask myself what I want to do (for pleasure), and then check whether this is actually what I need. 

What I wanted today was to stay in bed watching costume dramas on Netflix and knitting. But what I actually need, I think, is to feel like a functioning human being, with an identity outside of my job. So, I did have a lie in with my knitting, but then I actually got dressed in real clothes (not sportswear, gasp!). 

organic cotton is so soft! 

What Else Makes a Good Day Off?

So, congratulations me, I am up and dressed, but what else shall I do today to make the best use of my time? 

Well, good eats are a must (thanks darling):

mmm avocado

A Mindful Time

Then I'll spend some time getting organised for my classes through the rest of the week, and I also have some pondering to do about the direction of my career overall. Quiet time to think is super important to me. 

Once I've done my work-related jobs I'll most likely take some time away from screens and just see what happens- perhaps a walk by the sea would be a good idea? We all need fresh air, and to just watch the world go by. If you practise mindfulness then a walk outdoors can be a great time to do it. 

sea air

Yoga

Tonight it is my pleasure to be going to a yoga class. As a teacher myself it has become a rarer privilege to be able to do this, so this feels like an appropriate treat on my day off. And it is definitely what I need for a whole bunch of reasons. 

to the mat!

Sleep

Rest is so important. I will certainly be having an early night tonight to wake up refreshed for my early morning bootcamp tomorrow. 

sleep guru strikes again

Finding Stillness

It's tempting to fill up all of our down time with activities: socialising, shopping, entertaining ourselves, going on trips, and dare I say it even sports. All these aspects to life are really important, but what I'm seeing from writing this is that all of these things can be displacement activities- where we shift the focus off what is important (and potentially difficult to face) and onto the task at hand- any task. 

So next time I find myself with time on my hands I will definitely try to think about what I need to be doing right now: not doing what gives me pleasure necessarily, and not doing what I think I should, but trying to still all of the mind-chatter, take a step back, and contemplate the preya and shreya.