I recently came across the word fjaka (pron fee-ah-ka).
It’s a Coatian word, specifically from the Dalmatian coast area.
Often described as untranslatable, it’s usually explained as complete relaxation or the art of doing nothing.
A particluar state of body and mind.
A sort of day-dreamy state.
I prefer to describe this concept as not doing rather than doing nothing.
Coming from a busy western world where it’s all go, go, go…
It’s hard to switch this off and go slow, slow, slow!
Fjaka is sometimes linked to the Italian word fiacca, which means weariness, sluggishness or laziness.
But doing nothing or not doing doesn’t necessarily imply laziness.
As as Anna Soldenhoff says: “Lazy people don’t want to do anything. Someone in fjaka, on the other hand, could do something, but chooses not to.”
That’s almost a skill in itself.
Many people say fjaka cannot be learned but you can ‘catch it’, and once you catch it, you learn to appreciate a slower way of life.
It all sounds very Zen as though it should stem from Eastern philsophy.
But there’s no indication of that at all.
I guess it’s also similar to the idea of a siesta, but fjaka is more than just taking a nap in the hottest part of the day.
Fjaka is anytime, and need not include sleep.
It’s credited as good for mental health and wellbeing.
In fact, as I continued to read more and more about it, it really speaks to me of a kind of mindfulness practice.
I’ve even seen fjaka described as the ‘Mediterranean way of mindful living’.
To be mindful you observe your senses, but you can do that in a not doing kind of way.
You can just sit and take some time to rest and let your observations drift in and out.
I thought this was a lovely description of how to get into fjaka:
“Lay down in a comfortable spot, like your bed. Relax and don’t move. You can sit if you prefer. The goal is to expel the least amount of energy on your part. Try not to think, because thinking interferes with fjaka. Try to really enjoy your surroundings, whatever they are – the sounds, smells and visions that surround you. Pick a beautiful spot, like your bed, or a comfy spot on the porch, or a nice spot on an empty Dalmatian beach, or, if you like the sound of a crowd, a park bench near a busy market or a cozy spot in the middle of a busy downtown bar.”
Just like mindfulness, you can practice it anywhere.
It’s just taking some time to not do… some time for you… to slow down and rest.
Ann 🙏