What is your relationship to time?
I’ve been spending a lot of time getting clear on my priorities and my values. The outcome is 1)all my material things spark joy and 2) I have a more expansive relationship with time. Now, we all share the same 24 hour cycle, but the truth is we don’t use the time the same. Some people feel they have no time for themselves and others feel like they get a lot done in a day and have time for fun. After living for years in a contracted relationship with time, feeling like there was never enough of it, I’m here to share with you 2 things you can do to move towards expansion. In yoga, this kind of relationship to time is referred to as purnatva – the expansion of time.
If you want to expand your relationship with time, start with your stuff (at home and in your office) and then look to your kitchen.
To me my surroundings are super important. Since June 22, 2016 I’ve driven a FULL truck to donation drop-off zones a total of 5 times. I’ve emptied 5 bins of photos, journals, cards and memorabilia and whittled them down to 1. I’ve emptied 6 additional bins that contained items I either recirculated through my house because I LOVED them or I’ve given them away. So to put it in perspective, we’re talking books, shirts, yoga pants, jeans, skorts, shoes, kitchen utensils, office supplies, rugs, hats, down jackets, vests, tents, bike racks, and a jogger stroller to name a few.
Everything I gave away was really nice. Nope, no yard sale. This was about not needing to tend to these things. If they don’t spark joy, I say thank you and we part ways. I’ve been thinking of it in terms of my attention. The more things I have to “tend” to, the more scattered my attention. The more scattered my attention, the less efficient I am. The less efficient I am the more time contracts. Like that. It’s all about the SPACE and time. When we clear our physical environment we drop into a new relationship with time. You want to know how I feel?
I’m more light in my body, clear in my mind and focused in my purpose. It’s catapulted my daily habits into another stratosphere. This process has allowed for me to tap into my value of fun, family and being outside. When I feel like I have more time, I’m more at ease and I’m a lot more FUN to be around.
So, the next tip has to do with your physical body. I used to spend a lot of time in the kitchen. Cooking, baking and preparing foods for other people has always been something I’ve enjoyed. This past year though, I’ve realized that while I do enjoy sharing meals or “breaking bread” with others, I actually enjoy playing, being outside and moving my body even more. I’d much rather have food be a side dish to the nourishing company I keep.
So, we eat early and we eat light. I don’t want to spend time in the kitchen. I’d rather be in the garden, pushing a little boy on his tractor, taking a spin on my bike or reading Dr. Seuss instead of doing dishes. I prepare food and don’t get me wrong I don’t eat everything raw or never cook. I just set myself up so I am not in the kitchen every night. Soup and salad for dinner most nights. Ayurvedically speaking, it’s best to flip the American approach to eating lunch and dinner so you’re eating your biggest meal between 10am-2pm and eating light at night.
But last night for example, I spent 15 minutes prepping. I even turned on the oven for the first time since May. The temperature dropped with an afternoon rainstorm and the counter was covered with ripe peaches (literally COVERED). Sounds like a great recipe for peach crisp. And it was – I made it up (see below).
Peach Crisp – Choose your favorite baking dish (I use a pie pan). Chop enough seasonal fruit to cover dish just below the rim. Mix ¼ c coconut oil, ⅛ c maple syrup, ½ t vanilla in a bowl. In a separate bowl mix 1.5 c oats and ½ oat flour (I grind the oats in my blender), 1t salt, 1 t ground cardamom. Mix the wet and dry ingredients together and spread over the fruit. Bake covered at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Take off the cover and bake another 15 min. GO PLAY while it’s in the oven.
We don’t eat sweets after meals around these parts very often. So a treat like this is incorporated into the meal, it’s part of dinner (and honestly a great breakfast option especially 30 minutes after drinking some greens and you are still hungry). Last night, it was dinner. We had our big meal at lunch and Miles wanted a peach so we went for it. Around here we are conscious of meal stacking and what that does to our digestive system. It’s an aim to eat 3 times a day and truly avoid snacking. We aren’t purists about this, it’s a game plan, a principle and a daily aim.
So, make sure you don’t have “stuff” pulling your conscious an unconscious attention (and yes what you’ve got tucked away will have an impact) and then shift your dinner plan and get yourself out of the kitchen at night. I’ll be offering more kitchen habits and simple recipes to reduce time in the kitchen. You can still nourish yourself and your family with high quality foods and even more important nourish yourself and one another with connection, memories and PLAY. Do something FUN (without your phone). You’ll sleep better, your digestion will be on point and you’ll have a ton more energy in the morning.
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Rachel Peters is a yoga teacher, yoga health coach, lifestyle and habits expert, easeful living advocate, and lover of wild places. She leads others towards Embodying Ease through a yearlong wellness & lifestyle journey to dissolve perfectionism, embody daily habits that promote mental clarity, overall ease, and deeper connection to life on this wild ride of modern living. Learn MORE today!