Shrinkage

“It is strange a difference comes from a subtraction.” ― Natasha Tsakos

Have you ever seen the Seinfeld episode where George is accidentally seen naked by Jerry's girlfriend, to whom he tries in vain to explain that, having just gotten out of a cold pool, he’s a victim of "shrinkage?"

I was thinking about shrinkage the other day, but not quite in the same way...

As the coronavirus outbreak has brought many jobs to a halt and continues to confine us to our homes, a lot of people are feeling pressure to re-seed their lawns, become expert home chefs, make their windows sparkle, or train for their next triathlon. This endless demand for productivity is reinforced by the internet with its constant stream of how-to headlines and viral challenges, writes Taylor Lorenz in her NY Times article, Stop Trying to Be Productive. 

There's a strong inclination in our culture to make every moment "count," and if we aren't optimizing each microsecond, we feel like failures. At least I do. I've been cooking a bunch, meditating, doing yoga, shooting yoga videos, walking regularly, and, in my small way, helping MJ and the DamNation keep That Damn Mary afloat. But my windows are no sparklier, my lawn is as weedy as ever, and I have yet to sign up for the Ironman. Life has slowed down, so why do I feel like I have to keep adding to my to-do list and then feel bad when I don't?

Whatever the reason―personal or cultural or both―I've decided to let it go. To practice shrinkage. To be ok with being instead of doing. To recognize that less can be more and that a difference comes from a subtraction.

Thanks for staying connected, yogis. Take some time to chill out. I love and miss you and can't wait to practice with you again soon!!