As a child, my favorite Disney character was Winnie the Pooh.

Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed a pretty princess any day of the week, but I was drawn to Pooh Bear felt very connected to his stories.

Pooh Bear is cute, calm, and lovable. He likes honey and never judges his protruding tummy. Given that I am also a lover of sweets and have my own protruding tummy (that I was always told to suck in), it is no coincidence that I have always been drawn to a character that feels familiar.

It’s been almost 25 years, and I’m still in awe of the sweet bear, Pooh, who lives in the Hundred Acre Wood. I feel awe because the lessons that I learned at five years old feel more relevant and necessary today than ever.

One day, Pooh, Piglet, and Rabbit spotted Eeyore stuck in the river with no way to get out. Rabbit starts to think quickly and comes up with lots of options to get Eeyore out of the river. Piglet begins to worry with no solution in sight. Finally, Pooh drops a big rock into the water to propel Eeyore out of the river. Pooh bear doesn’t overthink; he allows his life to unfold.

Pooh Bear prioritizes ease and allows life to feel like a round peg in a round hole and a square peg in a square hole. The best example of this is when Winnie the Pooh has the desire to see his friends, but can’t decide which friend to visit. He decides to go for a walk, sit on a rock, sing a song, and eat some honey, when all of a sudden his dear friend Piglet appears. Alas, Pooh Bear’s trust in the universe and his welcoming of synchronicity in his life allows him to have everything that he wants.

In the spirit of the sweetest, honey-filled bear, who represents Zen, elegance, and fun, here are five ways that we can practice the art of non-doing, Winnie the Pooh style:

1. Before responding to that pressure-laden email, take a few beats or an hour before doing so.

2. Practice going on a mindful walk. Like Pooh Bear, we can stroll around with no goal in mind and just move our bodies in a nourishing way. Who knows, we may run into a friend on our journey!

3. When in doubt, we can listen to a happy song and sing along!

4. We can create a schedule that feels like a round peg in a round hole. We can say yes to plans that make us feel at ease, and assume the belief that allowing more flow into our lives is our birthright.

5. In our busy, overstimulated world, we can practice showing up more like Winnie the Pooh by blocking off time in our calendars to do absolutely nothing. This can be time when we put our phones on airplane mode, sit, sing a song, and perhaps eat some honey.

As Pooh says, “Promise me you’ll always remember: you’re braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.”

~

`

~

Author: Nina Sasson
Image: Video Still
Editor: Travis May
Copy Editor: Callie Rushton
Social Editor: Waylon Lewis