I live in Arizona. Twice a year there is a huge explosion of weeds that rages through my yard. Most people use a chemical spray on the gravel/rock base and call it good. I just can’t. I don’t want to put unnecessary chemicals in the environment and definitely not near my sweet chihuahuas. Some shake their heads with no understanding, but it is important to me. So, it can take a long time to be rid of my weedy yard. This summer has taken an especially long time, probably since I just didn’t have the will or the energy when school was in session. Yet, yesterday I finished! It felt great! And in those last few days of using an action hoe (watch this if you don’t know what that is!) to physically scrape the weeds away I had an amazing AHA! moment: I love the physical labor weeding!
Wait. What?!
Yes, I love doing weeds! Well, maybe it’s not the weeds specifically. I adore being outside (even when it gets insanely hot). Playing my music while being in nature is a double dose of enjoyment. I crave time in the sun. It feels so good to do the physical labor and use my body. I even enjoy that moment when my body tells me that it’s time to stop and the sweat is just dripping off of me. Oh, and the feeling of the breeze cooling my body through said sweat (yup, that’s what sweat’s for!). Not to mention, there is so much satisfaction watching the yard come together. I also adore the camaraderie of my dogs chilling in the shade while I work. And, you can’t beat quenching your thirst with a glass of water after putting in some rigorous work.
You think I’m crazy for enjoying physical labor, don’t you?
It’s okay if you do. But a book I read recently corroborates this moment of clarity I had. The book is Island by Aldous Huxley (written in 1962). Island is a utopian novel. In the book, the wild birds of the island of Pala say things like, “Attention” and “Here and now, boys”. It’s about being in the present moment and approaching life from a place of love. It really is super interesting to see how the children are raised and the family dynamic layout that Huxley suggests. But, I’ll leave it to you to read the story if it strikes your fancy (it has my recommendation ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐!).
So why bring up the book at all?
Because it is so interesting! In the book, everyone tries all different types of work to see if they like it or what they are good at. All children are required to do physical labor and adults also take part in regular strenuous work, even if their normal job does not require it. This scene popped into my head during my previously mentioned AHA! moment:
“Aren’t you supposed to be intellectuals?” Will asked when the two men had emerged again and were drying themselves.
“We do intellectual work,” Vijaya answered.
“Then why all this horrible honest toil?”
“For a very simple reason: this morning I had some spare time.”
“So did I,” said Dr. Robert.
“So you went out into the fields and did a Tolstoy act.”
Vijaya laughed. “You seem to imagine we do it for ethical reasons.”
“Don’t you?”
“Certainly not. I do muscular work, because I have muscles; and if I don’t use my muscles I shall become a bad-tempered sitting-addict.”
“With nothing between the cortex and the buttocks,” said Dr. Robert.
“Or rather with everything—but in a condition of complete unconsciousness and toxic stagnation. Western intellectuals are all sitting-addicts.”
It then continues:
“So you take to digging and delving as a form of therapy?”
Huxley, Aldous. (1962) Island. New York: HarperCollins. p. 173-174.
“As prevention—to make therapy unnecessary. In Pala even a professor, even a government official, generally puts in two hours of digging and delving each day.”
“As part of his duties?”
“And as part of his pleasure.”
I feel the truth in these words. I love getting up in the morning and doing work outside. Some days it’s ten minutes and some days it’s two hours. But, in the end, it brings balance to my body. It awakens all the cells and gets the prana, or life energy, flowing. I feel more at one with my surroundings and more at one with my body. It certainly is a pleasure. My AHA! moment came when I realized I only had about a day’s worth of weeds left. That’s when I was struck by the sadness of the end coming. It was a short flicker of sadness because I then looked around at all the other things that I can work on. I know that there is always going to be some kind of physical labor to be done.
But, why not just work out?
I do workout, even after coming in from doing the outside work. It’s just not the same. I think the reason may be the physical portion of outdoor work tends to be a part of a bigger project or simply that I am working with nature herself. Today I took an old plant stand apart, which really didn’t have much to do with nature. But, it had a lot to do with making my yard, or the world if you will, a better place. Working out makes my body better, but I also love making the world around me better. I enjoy how it feels to play a part (no matter how small) in making the world around me more balanced by uncovering its beauty and wholeness. And, there simply is magic in having a purpose that requires me to use my muscles for what they are designed for.
I find it so interesting since our world now is basically the opposite. We hire other people to do as many things for us as we can. Many of us do sit for such a large portion of the day. I have worked out most of my life (picture me as a tween grooving to Denise Austin back in the late eighties, lol), yet somehow my body seems to have forgotten how to use some of its muscles properly. I am on an ongoing journey to learning how to use my shoulders and hips correctly. It will take time, but I know I will get it. I wish for everyone to have healthy bodies and healthy minds: me, you, and anyone and everyone.
It’s not just a healthy body but a healthy life.
All of this also reminds me of the Netflix series Live to 100: Secrets to the Blue Zones. This mini series on living a healthy lifestyle based on areas in the world with concentrated groups of people living to be over 100 is fantastic! One of the recurring themes of people who live to 100 is that they work in the garden throughout life and into old age. Planting and weeding in a garden keeps our bodies moving, getting up and down from the ground, and that connection to nature that we all need. The series will deliver many more suggestions of living in a way to get our bodies to live the longest in the healthiest way possible.
Well, thank you for reading about my moment of dhi (divine clarity) regarding physical labor. I’d love to hear your thoughts about getting out there and doing some strenuous work. I do wish I could find time to incorporate my summer morning routine throughout the school year. I wonder if it would impact my teacher burnout as the year progresses in a positive way? That could be an interesting experiment! I only need to believe I can do it and start with just 5 minutes each day. How can you incorporate this idea of physical labor into your daily life?
And, remember:
Attention! Here and now, boys! (These words were so impactful to me after reading the book! I love that this blog has refreshed their importance to me.)
Love and light to you,
Dawn
P.S.-If you are looking to start slow into physical movement, yoga is a wonderful place to start. Reach out to schedule a personal one-on-one session, schedule a group session for you and your friends, or join an upcoming donation based yoga session (I’m currently working on getting these online!).
