Jain Spirit 2003 12 No 17

Author(s): Jain Spirit UK
Publisher: UK Young Jains

Page 37

Life Beyond Work
our time. The new technology demands that we create flashy anything. Then a fraying begins and eventually, if the websites, Power Point presentations, desktop newsletters all by person doesn't rest, the immune system crashes. When the ourselves and it all has to be done yesterday. And of course, to sympathetic system is over-stimulated in this way, it often pay for all these PDAs, MP3s, DVD burners and of course, our won't even let the body shift to parasympathetic mode. SUVs, we need to work
Sleeplessness, even more hours! Gandhi
irritability, loss of "There is more to life than merely increasing its speed, "Gandhi once said, "There is more
clarity and a sense of to life than merely
urgency is the result. increasing its speed."
There was a South Consumer culture is
American tribe that certainly partially
went on long marches. responsible. Many people
Periodically, they work just to pay off their
would just stop. They exorbitant credit card bills
explained that they - expenses for products
needed to do this so that the mass media has
that their souls could convinced them they
catch up with them. needed in order to live in a
Perhaps this sense of a modern world. From
soul is connected to the video games to computer
parasympathetic upgrades, from digital
response. cameras to surround sound
Work is extremely home theatres, it seems
important. We all want there is always more to
to be of service, to be buy. Yet what is the
useful members of underlying message in
the society. Having a all the advertising
meaningful occupation campaigns? "If you buy
stimulates an exchange this product, you will have
with others, learning, a relaxing, wonderful life."
and personal evolution. Wayne Muller, in his
But it's possible that in book Sabbath: Finding Rest, Renewal and Delight in our Daily valuing the benefits of work, other important aspects of Lives points out that in fashion catalogues we always see the humanity have been sacrificed - reflection, conversation, models enjoying a leisurely lifestyle. They are walking on a inspiration. We all know the famous story of Kekule's beach, lounging on a deck chair and reading, playing with their discovery of the structure of the benzene ring, a formula that children. In other words, buy this dress and you will forever changed molecular chemistry. His own version of have....time. Buy this $5000 gas grill and you will have a the story begins, "I turned my chair toward the fire place relaxing evening with your elegant relaxed friends on your and sank into a doze....” Sometimes all the activity at work patio. Buy this $40,000 SUV and you can sit on a cliff at the keeps us from listening to ourselves, from allowing new, edge of the frontier and watch the sunset all by yourself. inner discoveries that could change everything. Pascal Interestingly, resting costs nothing.
once said, "Man has so many problems because he's afraid Why is it so hard to stop? Perhaps if we stop blaming to sit alone in a room." So sit down, take the load off, ourselves for being workaholics and simply look at what is wait for your soul to catch up. Remember the words happening physiologically, we might have a clue. Your of the famous American country singer, Billy Ray Cyrus: autonomic nervous system has two modes - sympathetic and "No one has written on their tombstone 'I wish I had parasympathetic. Your sympathetic nervous system governs worked more.'" $2 the fight or flight response, it's what triggers adrenaline, gets you going in the day. It's the one that gets the job done and
Lavinia Plonka is a writer and teacher feels the rush of, well, rushing. The parasympathetic nervous
living in Asheville, NC, USA. Her book, system works while you rest. It governs healing, sleep, even
'What Are You Afraid Of? 'A Body/Mind learning. When the sympathetic nervous system becomes over
Guide To Courageous Living, will be stimulated, whether from a huge outer demand or overwork, it
published by Tarcher Putnam April 2004. becomes hyper. In the beginning, with all that adrenaline
You can contact her at pumping, the person feels powerful, jazzed, he/she can do
www.laviniaplonka.com.
DIGITAL IMAGE: RON MORECROFT
December 2003 - February 2004
Jain Spirit
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