There is a story about two Zen teachers from seventh-century China. One teacher is sweeping some stone steps inside the monastery with a wooden broom. He is approached by the other teacher, who looks at him and remarks, “Too busy.” (This is a way of saying, “Why are you sweeping when you should be meditating or undertaking some type of contemplative practice?”) The first teacher, holding his broom, responds by saying, “You should know that there is one who is not busy.”
Though we often associate busyness with activity and speed, and lack of busyness with stopping or slowing down, this is not always the case. It is possible to be actively engaged and not be busy. Not being “busy” does not require that you stop, slow down, or step out of the activity of your life. Most of the time, we learn, we adjust, we find our composure, right in the midst of the activity and intensity of our lives. We have to!
One way to explore “finding the one who is not busy” is to ask yourself: What am I doing that is extra? Then for a few hours during the day, pay attention to simple everyday physical activities like walking or sitting. Yes, pay attention to how you walk and how you sit down. Do you hold your shoulders tightly or are they relaxed and comfortable? Is your walking fluid and flowing or is there effort and strain in your gait. Notice where you carry tension in your muscles, and when you notice it, relax. Take a deep breath and let the tension go.
Continue to do this regularly throughout the day, paying attention to your body and your posture, and reducing stress and tension. By the end of the day, do you notice any change? Do you have less tension, and when you feel it, is it easier to let it go? It can take a lot of practice and attention to relearn ingrained physical habits, but doing so has enormous benefits. Depending on how hard this is for you, and how much tension you carry, consider working with a physical trainer, or engaging in another type of bodywork: yoga, pilates, sensory awareness, and Alexander are a few examples.
Now ask this same question — “What am I doing extra? Where am I holding tension?” — during other everyday activities, such as composing emails or writing at the computer screen. Is your attitude and approach relaxed? Are you thinking too hard? Can you reduce or release this extra effort?