The Beginning of The Joy Diet- Doing Nothing

I decided the other that I was going to complete all the Steps of Martha Beck's "The Joy Diet" book.
Its not a diet book, which is actually what I thought when I bought it. It has nothing to do with food. But it is about adding conscious and simple practices to your life slowly to enhance your life and begin to live the life your soul was meant to live.


She suggests that every week be dedicated to adding a new practice.


The first week I am to get used to 15 minutes of doing "nothing". Its basically meditating. Committing to alone time and not having anyone to answer to for 15 minutes while we stay still or do something repetitive that requires no thought- like walking, the dishes.... etc.


She suggests looking at nature or closing our eyes. Depending on how fervent our thoughts are she recommends watching them go by like a ticker- or if they are more manic and jumbled to watch them rapidly fall by you like a waterfall.


I have done it for 2 days so far- I will recount my first two experiences of Nothing.

Day 1- April 19th

I committed to doing nothing at Central Park during a break in between my babysitting job. I went to a bridge that overlooked the lake and stared at the water and the trees.

This is NOT my idea of a good time. If I am going to be by myself (which I actually like a lot)- I prefer to pretend I am someone famous or to listen to my iPod and pretend that my Harry Potter friends and I are playing the shuffle game at my engagement party to George Weasley. Something simple and normal like that.

Staring at nature, especially water, does nothing for me normally. I have friends and a father who just love water and could stare at it all day, and I have never understood them. But... there I went. Staring at the water.

My thoughts, amazingly, were slow. They would come in simple ways like- "Sparkle" and "I love that willow over there". I committed to imagining them on ticker tape and sometimes responding to the more neurotic thoughts like "Those russians are looking at me" with a calm "Oh Well".

Truly my thoughts were slow. It was a strange sensation. And I would sometimes worry: "What If I am putting too much imagination into this ticker tape? Won't that ruin the point of nothingness?" And even that I would see on ticker tape and respond "Maybe but Oh Well".

I played no music (AHHHHH), I didn't move from standing on that bridge overlooking the water and would see the ticker saying "My feet hurt. Can I sit down?" and I would respond calmly "Of course". But I never did. I stayed with the vision of the nature and tried to have as few thoughts as possible, though of course that cannot be controlled. The only thing notable was that the stillness and nothingness definitely caused some trouble breathing. There was no rational or physical reason why my breathing would have seemed slightly difficult- but it was. There was a slight but very real tingling of anxiety around my heart that I can only hope is a good thing- because I didn't back down.

When I started thinking: "Could this be over, please?" more and more- I checked my clock. 17 minutes had passed! I was elated and began to walk through the Ramble- my thoughts were slower though and I definitely felt accomplished and peaceful.

Enough for one day!!!!!!

Day 2- April 20th

I forgot my metro card. I normally go to class and then give myself 1.5 hours to get uptown for my babysitting job. But I snuck out of class early so... I had extra time! I had lunch at MUD by myself and decided to head uptown- and realized I had forgotten my card so I thought I would try to walk.

Thatsss when I decided to do my "nothingness". I was walking- different from the day before. This time I listened to my iPod on shuffle- and amazingly! Only peaceful music came on.

I focused on the huge white puffy clouds in the sky and on every tree that I passed. Again, I never look at the sky and CARE about the clouds and the sun and the blue- but yesterday when I did this- it pacified me. I would look at the trees and try NOT to make associations- because that's not necessarily the point/But sometimes I would see a tree that reminded me of something and acknowledge the association. I tried to just let my thoughts be- and not judge how often the ticker would tick by.

  I would walk, and notice the thoughts I had about weaving around people and about crossing the street. I was impressed with how much my instincts took over when it came to crossing the street. I was able to avoid bumping into someone and my ticker said "coliision" or "Almost collision". The interesting thing is that when I decided to try and do nothing- my thoughts were generally fragmented- and not in full sentences (not ALWAys though).

I was strangely zoned out staring at the clouds in between the buildings. I would think: "sliver" and "slice" of sky. I would associate it with "the space of nothingness" in between the clutter of the buildings. Then I would get mad at my thoughts for trying to associate. Then I would look at my anger thought: "why are you doing that?!?!?" and respond: "Oh well". This sounds kind of frantic - but truly most of my thoughts were one word. In fact, I also would feel the space between my ticker thoughts as- Space. I would feel, when no thoughts were going on, just this peaceful, nothingness "space". It was cool.

I didn't feel the same difficulty of breathing or anxiety as the day before- but that could have been because I was waking.

When I finally checked the clock- it was 17 minutes- again. Just like the day before. What does that MEAN?!?!?!?!

Anyway- I did it. Two days in a row. 5 more days of the same before I add step number 2: "Truths".
Tootalooo