© Frans Sluijs | Dreamstime

The urban dictionary defines monkey mind as roaming attention that constantly seeks new objects. I employ my monkey mind to serve creativity. Disparate thoughts capture my attention and sometimes the Muse shows up and connects them. More often though, my monkey turns feisty, grabs at every attractive email, Facebook and Twitter link, shakes it, tastes it, and tosses it aside until I am spent. That’s why I decided to do an e-Fast.

I turned off my cell phone and tablet for a full 24 hours. I didn’t fire up my desktop, laptop, e-Reader or notebook. No music or TV either. The monkey moved to a corner of her cage and turned her face to the wall. I walked into another world. 

To my mind (when it’s not overrun with monkeys) meadows invite rest and contemplation. 

The roses that bloom at the edge of this field in Versailles hold my attention and then my eyes lift to the field beyond.

A meadow in Versailles

If I make my own way through the fragrant tall grasses, will I meet resistance? Will sticky blades of grass cling to me like the thoughts of phone calls I forgot to make or emails I should have returned? Or will the soft fragrance of the field unfold in my soul, like the wonder I miss each day I don’t pay attention to words in the breeze or tiny moments that pass like ladybugs and lacewings along a green highway.

My eyes are drawn to the distant temple. It might be an empty space to enjoy, or a place to meet someone I’ve been ignoring.

Here is what I did with my day:

1. Morning yoga at The Little House

2. Settled into a garden chair with a magazine and cappuccino at Mountain Sage

3. Prayed and wrote in my journal

4. Fulfilled a promise to sew a button on a shirt, and did some ironing, listening to the tinkling wind chime and enjoying a breeze coming through the patio door, bearing scents of cedar, oak, pine and redwoods

5. Slow read a section “Penguin Island” by Anatole France

6. Napped in my hammock

7. Ate dinner at church with the parents and kids who participated in Vacation Bible School

An ordinary day, except…I felt like I was on vacation. Going offline produced instant relaxation and brought to my mind how much I distract myself with social media. It’s not a question of the value this activity, but the constant use.

Do you need to unplug once in awhile?

Is there a meadow that needs your footfall?