Slow, not fast. Here not there. These are the days that will never come again. Live in them. Be here now. Meditate don't procrastinate. Pause your mind its time to slow down.
I was running home from the gym last week. It was a Friday afternoon, and I had planned on training indoors, but once I arrived, I felt a calling to the outside world. To be amongst nature and clear my mind. I started my watch timer to see how long it would take me to get home. Halfway home I peered down at my watch and saw time ticking. Boom I had one of those AH-HA moments. Here I'll break it down for you.
Seven minutes of my life had just passed that I would never see again. As I watched the second’s tick on my watch while in a fast moving motion forward, I felt as though time had stopped. I had just become genuinely engaged in the present moment. The warm winter sunset, birds whistling in the trees the cool breeze on my skin. Everything was perfect, but my watch was still ticking. At this moment I was reminded the beauty of slow life. I realised that I've been moving way too fast. I have been rushing, over stimulating with and not spending enough time in stillness or on my meditation cushion.
At this moment I felt an immense calling to SLOW down. To be present. Each day is full of beauty; however, we cannot see it if we are not present and are living in our heads. Always thinking about getting to the next thing and moving forward. At this moment I made a conscious choice to slow down. I want to witness the pure beauty of life every day.
ART OF STILLNESS
The world moves fast, we are living in constant motion. This movement creates a distraction. Unless we purposely take time to stop, breathe and be still we can forever distract. There is always something else coming up because like my watch the time never stops ticking. Anxiety is often explained as a worry or fixation with the future. By thinking about the future or dwelling in the past, we can take ourselves away from the present moment. The issue with this ongoing distraction is that it is too much for our bodies and minds. When we don't take time for stillness, the agency will often present us with unwanted habits, issues or disorders. Its a way of saying “HEY! SLOW DOWN, I don't like this”. Personally now I know when I need to slow down. My body makes me acutely aware of this challenging me with anxiety, fatigue or trouble sleeping at night. You may be aware of your own body signals but if not dig deep and be curious.
There is no fix, but there is a practice. Why do yogi’s go back to the meditation cushion time and time again? Its because these mindful practices radiate into our lives. They offer us an insight into the way we can feel when we pause.
MORE JOY
When we begin to move slowly, we can experience more joy. Arrival in the present moment will give you a chance to really appreciate what you have in your life at this current time.
Our time on this earth is short. We need to spend time meaningfully, by living in the days and not in our heads.
Presence and awareness is the first step. Write your self a little note somewhere you can see it each day. I wrote my words on a whiteboard on my fridge. A little reminder to slow down.
My favourite way to bring myself back to the present moment is to take three deep breaths then tune into all my senses. What can I see? What can I smell? What can I hear?
Once a few minutes has passed you should feel a sense of calm and gratitude in your chest.
Once a few minutes has passed you should feel a sense of calm and gratitude in your chest.
Slowing down may be uncomfortable at first because we are so used to the multi-tasking rush of life. Dial back the speed 10% at a time. Walk a little slower, eat a little slower and pause for a moment to smell the fresh winter air at sunset.
Love Isabelle <3
