I remember first reading about the comparison of “being” vs. “doing” in Eckhart Tolle’s book, “A New Earth”. The book is about learning to be present. There’s a lot of discussion about noticing the ego in oneself and, in particular, noticing how the ego is all about “doing”. Tolle imagines a conversation with the ego about the subject: the ego says, “Being?? What do you do with it?”
Of course, there is a lot we must “do” in our lives, but with all the “doing” there is a tendency to become disconnected from “being”. Having a daily or regular practice of meditation, breathwork, or yoga is a way to bring more “being” into your life so that there is a better balance. The trick is to not make one’s daily practice just another thing to “do”, i.e. thinking you have to accomplish something with your practice. It’s a paradox. The more you can simply “be” with the experience of your practice, the more the “doing” parts of your life will become – over time - more centered.
I hope you’ll consider coming to one of our breathing circles. You don’t have to know anything and there’s always a mix of new people and returnees. We are a very welcoming group. The next one is tomorrow. To RSVP, click here. To see the full schedule, click here.