One of my alpacas, Kevin (pictured here) has it pretty easy. Even though I live in rural Victoria, we did have a few harsh Melbourne-style lock-down-lock-ins. I remember the last one, and I was (and still am) missing friends and family coming to visit us. I was wondering around the paddocks and decided that I needed to hang out with the animals.

Whilst sitting with them, watching as they (largely) ignored me, they continued to just do what they do. They chew their cud, they eat, they stare off into the distance, hearing something that only they can, they have a roll on the dust ground. Even though they have instincts that are much more primitive than ours, a human can gain insight and much needed guidance by mimicking a ‘Kevin’ when he is simply being an alpaca.

Allow yourself a few minutes of time each day to NOT DO! Try one of these – sit on the grass, lie on the ground somewhere (safe!) and notice how your body is in contact with the ground, notice what you feel, sit on a step and allow your gaze to soften on the leaves on a tree in the distance… breathe and allow thoughts to come and go… no alarm bells here.. just allowing the ‘task’ of the not-doing to be all that’s important in this moment.

~ Lucia DaPos