The summer holiday period in the Northern hemisphere is nearly over. Perhaps you have already taken your break from work or school; maybe you are still looking forward to it. In any case, I hope that after reading my thoughts below, you will consider a “mindful laziness” to be an enticing option for rest and relaxation.
According to the Oxford Dictionary, laziness is “the quality of being unwilling to work or use energy”. No wonder we typically label it as something negative and shameful. Shouldn’t we be willing to work and use energy all the time after all? Or at least most of the time…?
If you google terms mindfulness and laziness together, you might find articles about how to combat laziness with mindfulness or blog posts that may suggest that mindfulness might make you lazy. After all, being fully aware and paying attention to the chosen object of meditation does not strike us as a very active activity.
Yet, we are expected to be a little bit “lazy” when we are on holidays. Some people claim that only “active” holidays help them re-charge, but for most of us a few days spent simply soaking in the sunrays are preferable. However, once we do find ourselves on the beach, surrounded by nature or simply lounging on the couch, we often cannot actually rest and relax.
Even if our bodies are finally stationary, our minds are still running fast. So, we immediately search for something to distract ourselves with… a book, a game, a phone, or any other activity that allows us to escape the onslaught of our thoughts and emotions. Unfortunately, these thoughts and emotions do not disappear when we distract ourselves – they simply hide for a while, just to reappear even stronger.
I propose that a holiday break is a perfect opportunity to try out a “mindful laziness” for a change. The process is quite simple. Take 5-10-15 minutes (or whatever time you have) to simply sit or lie down on whatever comfortable surface you can find. Then simply take a few deeper breaths, relax the body a bit if possible, and notice any experiences that are happening to you. These could be sounds, sights and smells. Or they could be internal body sensations, thoughts and emotions. The only rule: don’t resist, don’t judge – just observe.
You might be wondering why I am calling this “mindful laziness” rather than mindfulness meditation. There is another way of labeling this practice: open awareness. In this meditation we are not focusing our attention very narrowly; we are allowing our minds to wander. This can be such a nice, lazy process. There is nothing here to do, nothing to start or stop, nothing to change.
I had a nice time practicing this mindful laziness over my summer break, and I hope you give it a try as well. I find that this practice does a much better job in relaxing my body and mind than any other “holiday activity” I like to engage in. Perhaps you will find it as helpful as me. Plus, if you get into a small mindfulness habit during vacations, it may be easier to continue it once you are back to your regular activities 😊
If you would like some more guidance to try this out, I can recommend listening to one of my recent recordings below. I wish you wonderful and relaxing holidays 🌞
AGGA Coaching 
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