Self Guided Journey: Chapter 3 — Living Slow

I am feeling a bit tired as I write this month’s chapter and I wonder how many of you are feeling weary too?

This world won’t slow down, so how do we live slow inside anyway? How do we build resilience for living slow and with ease in a fast world? It is a great myth of our time — that all this hurry gets us further ahead or makes us more productive. I don’t believe it. Do you?

Recently I am pondering new levels of this as I move between countries, airports, roles and tasks. I have asked again — how might I live slowly in a world addicted to pace and activity? How do we find joy in each moment, rather than more pressure? How do we move beyond just endurance to enjoyment? How do we give each moment its due, give it the attention it needs to fully live, as well as us fully live within each moment?

How we live each moment determines how we live our life!

I have learned that one of the best ways to get myself to slow down is to see activities — this email, this writing, this conversation, this meeting — as spiritual practices. As requests to become present. When I do this, then there is space and I don’t build up stress or let one moment bleed into the next, carrying its baggage. When we forget and hurtle through our days we can arrive home in the breathlessness that permeates our time. Can we remind ourselves to come back to ease in the moment and do this task, then this one and then that one ….

“Live slow inside” has become a new mantra for me.

As I have considered how I might cultivate ease, I have been returning to the poem “Lost” by David Wagoner, see it here.

I also believe that while the moment to moment practice is essential, so is allowing space each day and each week to digest the moments we did carry forward, or we become overwhelmed and fearful of stopping.

We need to breathe fresh air into our lives, digesting and growing from life as it meets us. How do you create space in your life for digesting?

This month I am practicing slowness inside and giving each moment its attention, whatever it brings.

Will you join me?

Inquiry — living slow

In your journal take some time to explore the idea of living more slowly.

• How do you respond to this idea and practice?
• Does stopping or slowing frighten you?
• Is there space currently for you to digest your life and harvesting learnings?
• Do you allow yourself renewal time?
• What renews you?

Action — A slow experiment

For just one day, experiment with doing everything slower than usual. Try a playful prototype in living slowly and then reflect:

• Do you get more or less done?
• How do you feel at the end of the day?
• What did you notice?

If it feels too hard, experiment with doing one activity slowly for a week — eating, walking, brushing your teeth, anything.

Practice — Pauses and allowing

Practice inserting pauses between your activities. Feel your breath and your body and the space you are in. Pay attention to what is happening internally within you and externally and see if you can just allow all of it. Just let it be for even a moment. Whatever is happening.

When you get in the car, pause, notice the inner and outer worlds, just notice what is happening and then turn the key in the ignition.

Before you eat, pause, give thanks, take in the textures, colours and scents of your meal.

Before you start a meeting, pause, invite everyone to take a moment and just arrive — to become present with themselves, the kaupapa and with each other.

This month embed tiny moments of spaciousness into your days. Create breathing spaces. Rest in the pauses between things and rest in slowness.

Also remember your practice of expanding, expanding and ease go together, we can expand to include the pressure and return to ease…