Wu Wei

Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished. ~ Lao Tzu

This past weekend I had one of those most delightful experiences of running a Restorative Intensive workshop. Sometimes the energy of the group is a synergistic combination that results in a truly open learning environment and this group manifested such energy. They asked in-depth questions, began applying the principles by the end of the weekend, and showed a sense of creativity and compassion needed to offer this type of practice to others. It was a real gem. They were in the flow of the practice and the result was magical.

It made me think of the Taoist principle of Wu Wei, which is aligning our movement with the greater flow of life. It can be referred to as "natural action" and doesn't involve any sense of struggle or striving, but surrendering to the flow of life no matter what is happening. I was first introduced to this concept several years ago when I read the book "The Tao of Pooh" by Benjamin Hoffman. It explains Chinese Taoist philosophy using the characters of Winnie The Pooh and mentions Wu Wei in the process. Of course, for any Pooh fans, Pooh is the Zen master of all the characters, easily and without excessive effort, moving through life.

This relates to yoga as we allow our practice to unfold, inviting our body to move rather than striving or struggling in any part of the practice. Sometimes a forced practice can be seen as we try to "bind" a pose, gripping onto the opposite hand, or bouncing in order to get our hands to touch the floor. In doing so, we miss the point of the practice...one which is loving and compassionate, not forceful or competitive. In Loving Kindness meditation, this is known as equanimity, that state where no matter what's happening, we are able to view it from a place of stability rather than turmoil. In trying to keep things simple, we allow our practice to come to us, rather than setting a plan for where we want it to go, especially if the timing doesn't align with where we actually are.

Many athletes, musicians, and writers know the state called "flow" where everything simply comes together with ease. When musicians play and sync up, it's called "being in the pocket", for athletes, they find "peak performance", and writers lose all sense of time and tap into the channel of inspiration that seems beyond intellect. Yet, if you ask these people how to make it happen each and every time, the answer may be elusive. It's as though the stars have aligned and everything was just "going my way."

Many years ago, I traveled extensively and it included six months, often hitchhiking, through Africa. I flew from London to Harare, Zimbabwe on a one-way ticket, with a backpack, and no itinerary. I had heard from other travelers that to truly experience Africa, heading there without an agenda was ideal. I began to understand what "Africa-Time" really meant...buses left when they were full, you may or may not get a lift that day, and nobody seemed to be in a particular hurry or pay attention to timetables. Let's just say it was the antithesis to being in a place where punctuality and precision matter, such as Germany, Switzerland, or Japan. 

As I found my way in Africa, I was joined by a friend that I had traveled with in Greece. Annie and I had a blast exploring Crete and a couple of other Greek islands, yet when she arrived in Africa, she had only three weeks to explore. Needless to say, our energies no longer complemented each other as she had a hurried agenda and I was finding my Wu Wei. I have always felt that the rare opportunity of traveling without an itinerary or need to be any place at any particular time was the freest I have felt in my entire life. 

Currently, my life is completely timetabled as it is with so many of us. We have a schedule that needs to be adhered to in order to be productive and professional. So how do we find the natural flow day-to-day? We don't need to be elite athletes or professional musicians to find it, but we can uncover moments in our day when we simply open ourselves to being completely present and deeply mindful of our even most mundane experiences. Four suggestions to help us find our Wu Wei are:

1. Spending time in nature
2. Giving without condition
3. Letting go of how we think something is supposed to look
4. Staying open to spontaneous emergence

So my thought of the week is to trust the spaciousness of your life and to unschedule yourself from a few things. Connect to the above suggestions to get started on a deeper path of flow and enjoying doing Wu Wei, your way!