Lazy Day

A Lazy Day is a day for us to truly rest and relax without any schedule activities. We just let the day unfold naturally, timelessly. It is a day in which we can practice as we like, and nourish ourselves with nature. We can do walking meditation on our own, read a book, write a letter or enjoy sitting meditation in the forest or somewhere beautiful. We can listen to a guided relaxation, or simply lie on the grass and watch the clouds float by. You may be inspired to draw, to paint, to write poetry or calligraphy, or even select a few flowers to arrange and remind you that every room can be a meditation hall.

In Plum Village practice centres, we practice lazy day once a week. At some point, Thay even suggested we should have more lazy days, but the community felt one day a week was enough.

A lazy day is a chance for us to truly stop and look deeply, into ourselves and our relationships. We may discover a lot about how we are feeling, how we are *really* doing. We may recognize what we need to do (or not to do) in order to bring more harmony, peace and joy into our daily activities. Sometimes, we may push ourselves too hard, and a lazy day is there to restore balance, to let go, and to simply do nothing. It is a very quiet, peaceful day - a chance to learn "the art of being lazy."

Can you organize your time to create a lazy day for yourself?

**Lazy screens**

In Plum Village we also practice "no car" days, "no computer" days and "no internet" days. Sometimes, we also enjoy practicing "no electricity days". Although these might be too difficult (are you sure?!), you may find that it's helpful to make a commitment to be off-screen for your lazy day. You might need to lock your phone or laptop in a cupboard, just to remind you not to reach for it.