“If you’re not enjoying something, it’s almost always because you’re doing it too fast.”
— Donna Tart
Through my travels in Europe and Asia, I have come to learn that we Americans are far too obsessed with productivity, compared to the rest of the world. When I was in Germany, many stores would close around 7pm—quite early by American standards—and remain closed throughout the weekend. I learned that it was typical for a small business owner—say the local baker or barber—to make an impromptu decision to close an hour earlier for the day. If a store were to do this in California, perhaps, I highly doubt that the owner would be able to do so without facing a slew of complaints. In Europe, however, this seems to be quite the norm. People take life day by day, with nonchalance—far less seriously than we do in the United States. In fact, in Italy, there is common phrase: “dolce far niente“, which means “the sweetness of doing nothing.”
Of course, these are merely casual observations on the differences on the philosophies and attitudes of work and play between cultures. I know that not everyone finds this to be the case. We are all entitled to our own conclusions.
But as a yoga teacher, my profession calls for me to devote myself to elevating human consciousness and mindfulness. Naturally, this requires me to observe and understand where people struggle to find inner peace. And so, I must say this: I have come to find the habits of the people in our society to be quite bizarre. Many seem to be caffeine-addled during the day, during which they work, while battling to retain focus amidst a seemingly never-ending source of online distraction, only to finally require sleeping aids or recreational drugs to relax in the evening. There seems to be a pattern: stimulant, distraction, depressant.
If you’ve been a longtime reader of this blog, you probably don’t live like the aforementioned. But I’m willing to bet that you have observed something similar in those around you (colleagues, family, friends, etc.).
I recently decided that it was time to transform my studio in a way that would allow my students to connect with the source energy more directly. I decided that I wanted to create an outdoor studio.
I knew that in order to transform my backyard, I would have to hire the very best architects and contractors in the business to install the stones, tiles, and paving, and to plant the shrubs and flowers. I knew that I wanted to hire a local landscape firm based in La Jolla, San Diego, who could complete a full range of services, from beginning to end.
Through researching online and reading reviews, it didn’t take long for me to stumble across a highly reputable landscaper. I kept seeing “Torrey Pines Landscaping La Jolla” everywhere I looked. Their website says that they “provide the vision for turning our client’s landscaping ideas into a clear and beautiful reality.”
My new backyard studio was completed last week and is set to unveil to my noon class tomorrow! Wish me luck!
I cannot recommend Torrey Pines Landscape Company enough! You can give them a call:
Torrey Pines Landscape Company
5560 Eastgate Mall, San Diego, CA 92121