Slowing Down

Simon & Garfunkel were on to something when they sang their 1966 song, “Slow down, you move too fast. You got to make the morning last….”. Slowing down in a fast-paced world in countercultural and yet it has many benefits. The ‘slow food movement’ seeks, among many things, to find sustainable methods of food production/growth that supports eco- and cultural diversity. This takes time! In developing presence, a fundamental practice is to slow down, to sense into one’s breath, relationship with gravity, physical sensations and quality of mind and emotions. Slowing down provides time and space to discern nuances. In my classes we often begin and conclude our sessions with a period of slowing down. This provides time to absorb our experiences and allows our nervous systems to record the subtle changes of our being-ness. In our hikes in the mountains, we often slow down so that we have time and space to appreciate the flowers growing, the colour of a stream, to discern bird calls. In digesting our experiences, we are better able to balance our nervous system (see also 1 May 2024 blog post) and make the morning last. Join me for a hike this month (see upcoming events).