The world around us is cyclic: day follows night, seasons and generations flow one into the next. Plants and animals are born, mature, reproduce, and die. And within us are cycles embedded within cycles: exhalation and inhalation, contraction and relaxation of the heart, the flow of blood and other fluids, sleeping and waking - each with their own rhythm and purpose that supports and makes up who we are.
One set of cycles - both evident and elusive - are our cycle of effort and recovery. In fact, almost all cycles express these qualities. The heart contracts and then relaxes and is filled with blood to pump once again. Fresh, red, oxygenated arterial blood is pumped out throughout the body carrying warmth, nutrience, and potential energy - and returns in swooshing waves of venous blood carrying carbon dioxide, dead cells, and metabolic wastes. We sleep soundly and awaken energized - or at least ideally. Our human ability to disrupt cycles is part of what gives us the space to act with volition and creatively. But often important cycles are disrupted through personal choice, unconscious behaviors, or social pressures. Sitting at desks for hours, doing repetitive tasks, using one mode of thinking for extended periods.... Consciously choosing recuperation patterns allows for more effective and dynamic living.
What are your major activities? What would be an opposite activity?
What are the qualities of your day? Single focused or multi-tasking? High or low intensity? Are you alone or interacting with people? Maybe you will need to do a couple different things to recover from the complex efforts of your day.
As humans we form habit patterns very quickly. One thing to watch out for in choosing recovery activities is - often unconsciously - continuing in an effort that has become habitual. For example: Being under time pressure at work, focusing intensely, looking straight ahead at the screen for hours to meet some deadline - then 'recovering' by going for a run, trying to beat some time goal, pushing hard and focusing, eyes fixed forward... see what I mean? Running is a recovery from sitting but the other efforts are carried through. Maybe a better recovery would be to do short sprints interspersed with walks, looking around at the scenery - along with giving your body a little giggle and shake periodically throughout the day, remembering to blink frequently and looking away from the screen to allow your eyes to focus at a different depth even for a few seconds every minute or so.
On how many levels can you make cycles of conscious recovery part of your lifestyle?
