Can You Get Healthier While Doing Nothing?

I've had one of those off days where the to-do list seems a mile long, but my energy is somewhere else and everything feels topsy-turvy. My body has needed some serious downtime. I've spent half of the day fighting it and the other half honoring it. 

It may have taken hearing my husband say, "you can't argue with your body" to remind me to practice what I preach. Sigh. So few lessons. So many times to learn them.

So what do you do if you know that your usual way of doing "nothing" just makes you feel worse? What options exist other than lying on the couch all day where you know you're just going to end up feeling tight and sore and more sluggish.

Maybe you've been working so hard on your health and you're feeling unsure about how to "do less" in a way that doesn't cause more problems.

Hint: eating more peanut butter and honey straight from the jars will not help. (Not that I'm working on that lesson, either, or anything.)

Enter my favorite "do nothing" essential.

The psoas release. 

I've written about the psoas release before, but here's the quick and easy instruction:

• Lie on your back, bolstered up under your shoulders and head.

• Put your legs straight out in front of you.

• Do nothing.

Do nothing for 5 minutes. Or 20 minutes. Or maybe an hour. Feel free to sleep and do nothing. Read and do nothing. Meditate and do nothing. Breathe and do nothing. 

Now, I can't promise that nothing will happen. You may be overcome by deep feelings of relaxation and peace like you've never experienced before. You might come away feeling free-er in your core than you can remember. You might be taller. Happier. Better able to breathe. Or you might even have a rather emotional response. 

Tending to your psoas is essential for whole-body health. And since it can fit in with your occasional need to "do nothing," I suggest you make this a part of your practice.