The past year has stressed us physically and mentally in countless ways. Thinking about how this feels and might look, an image of string being too tightly wound comes to mind. I also recall a meditation instruction on how to approach one’s practice: not too tight and not too loose, like a weaver spinning wool or a musician tuning guitar strings. One of my favorite quotes that expresses this idea beautifully is by the great Indian Buddhist master Tilopa.

“Let go of what has passed. Let go of what may come. Let go of what is happening now. Don’t try to figure anything out. Don’t try to make anything happen. Relax, right now and rest.”

Such amazingly fresh and relevant advice for our busy, chaotic lives! And, Tilopa’s words are just like the advice that my teacher, Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, has been saying to his students for years, “Just let go and relax.” Huh? Why is that so hard to do? Could it be that my habitual tendencies of constant busyness have created deeply entrenched neural pathways that make letting go seem so difficult? Yes. Can I be guilt free and comfortable when doing nothing? That’s not so easy. Can I let my shoulders relax and imagine all my physical and mental tension being released from my body like grains of sand or shedding skin? What a nice idea! Can I gaze into a cloud-free sky and simply relax with the momentary joy of being alive, letting my mind merge with space? Yes, I can do that, and it is so simple.

All these techniques seem like good things to do on a daily basis. They certainly aren’t time consuming. They are simple, self-care recipes to help me become unwound and more relaxed. Another favorite is belly laughing. For me, there is nothing quite so cleansing as a good laugh. I have known this for years. I even earned some “street cred” when I shared with my niece the technique of fake laughing when driving or stopped at a stop light. The body doesn’t know the difference between fake laughter and genuine laughter. So, when you fake laugh, your body still releases endorphins.

Here is another idea. Recently, my boss shared that after one hour on a Zoom webinar, the facilitator said something like, “Okay, let’s all stop looking at our screens, get up and walk away from our computers for five minutes.” My boss was astonished because it was the first time in 15 months that she had heard anyone say that in a Zoom meeting. Go take a break! And she did it. She got up and walked away from her desk, went outside for five minutes and returned refreshed. So simple.

I know for most of you, none of this is “big news.” And I also think most of us can use some simple reminders of how to recharge our energy. I will leave you with one more suggestion that recently came from a friend who I had not contacted in years. I reached out to her seeking advice on how to “clear up” a messy situation. She suggested that I take a ferry, stand on the bow, and let the wind scrub my energy field. That may sound strange, but for me it was a golden instruction for letting go and becoming unwound. And it felt invigorating! May your journey be loose and carefree … at least for a few moments.