I’m just back from a few days away.  The best and most restful thing has been having a break from the mental ‘to do’ list. Most of us have these lists, either in our heads, in a notebook or on one or more scraps of paper (dangerously easy to mislay).  We know that a written list is a fundamentally good thing – enabling us to articulate worries or gain relief from the stress of mentally ‘holding’ things that we need to achieve at some point in the future.  

One of the brilliant things I did last week was take a trip to the British Museum.  There are plenty of written lists there – lists of ancestors, military conquests, gods, rules and some very mundane lists, very like the one I have beside me (paprika, toothpaste, birthday present for S – that kind of thing).  These ancient lists have been vital in enabling experts to decipher and explore ancient scripts and understand the beginning of written language itself. For me, the day to day lists are particularly powerful: a connection with the lives and concerns of human beings who lived many years before us but are ultimately the same. 

Thinking about lists and how liberating it is to be without them for a while made me reconsider the word ‘listless’, which we usually define as ‘without interest or energy’. The word has nothing to do with lists and comes from the same root as ‘lust’, so it’s all about desire or interest.  I love the evolution of language, so this is very interesting, but I can’t help feeling a bit sad about listlessness being such a generally undesirable state. I’d like to propose an alternative meaning, something along the lines of ‘a rejuvenating sense of freedom from day to day duties’.

Travelling back home, I was thinking about the occasions in our lives when we are ‘listless’ (in the positive sense).  Interestingly, they are usually the times when we’re absorbed in something that relieves us from our relentless predisposition to plan.  And of course, that’s what yoga offers us, from a short meditation practice, through to a weekend retreat and ultimately through a dedication to yoga as a mindful, present and more ‘listless’ way of life. I’m going to find more opportunities for the freeing, nourishing state of ‘listlessness’ – essentially, more being and less doing.  If you’d like to join me, do think about the Reconnection Retreat we’re hosting from 8^th to 10^th May 2020.  Or consider setting an intention to find a ‘listless’ pause in each day, a space for being present in the here and now, no planning, just being. 

Living in the digital age, it seems like we have never been better connected. We can communicate with each other in an instant, wherever we are on the planet.  We can find out what’s happening in the world, sign an important petition, hear about events coming up, speak with family across the ocean: we can be linked in – to everything, if we want to be.  

Yet, apparently, humans feel more lonely than ever before, with recent UK research by the Red Cross showing that one in 5 people feel lonely.  We instinctively know that loneliness isn’t good for our mental health and we’re now aware that it also results in real risk for our physical wellbeing.  It turns out that face to face connection with other people is more important for our wellbeing than we realised, with significant impact on our mental health, wellbeing and even our life expectancy. 

Connection with nature also has a powerful effect on our health and wellbeing.  Academic studies over several decades show that we are genetically programmed to benefit from, and indeed seek, a connection with nature. Most of us enjoy a walk in the woods or an afternoon at the beach, but research shows us that there’s much more to it than that. Regular connection to nature reduces the risk of stress, anxiety, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure. 

We sense the connection between physical and mental health; we know that our emotions, thoughts and behaviour and our physical wellbeing are interlinked.  In recent years there has been a lot more understanding of the connections between the ‘microbiome’:  the bacteria, fungi, protozoa and viruses that live on and inside the human body – and our physical and mental health.  

Activities that help us to connect with how we are feeling, physically, mentally and emotionally are also good for us, Mind-body practices which focus on movement, breath and sound are consistently shown to reduce stress, anxiety and depression, reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and improve pain control, particularly for those with chronic conditions. These practices include yoga, tai chi, qi gong, relaxation and meditation as well as art, music and dance therapy. 

Wherever we look – connecting is good for us, whether it’s with each other, nature or the amazing body that we inhabit.  We need to do more of it! We’re blessed in Dumfries & Galloway with a wonderful natural environment, many community based opportunities to connect with each other and a wide range of practitioners who can support us to find a better connection with our self.  All this connection is interlinked too: connecting with others helps us learn more about ourselves. And when we take time to really connect with the self, we begin to sense how we’re inextricably linked to each other and the wider world in which we live.

If you’d like to take some time out to reconnect, take a look at the Reconnection Retreat weekend, near Dumfries in May 2020.  Kerry is jointly hosting the Reconnection Retreat at Allanton Peace Sanctuary with fellow yoga teacher Alyson Tyler. See https://alysonyoga.wordpress.com/retreats/  or email yogareconnectionretreat@gmail.com or call Kerry 07502 584530 or Alyson 07579  966151