How do we slow down?
I've been reflecting on this conundrum lately. I spread myself too thinly and I am living life on the surface. I can't seem to find flow in my days as they are disjointed and compartmentalized. I don't want to be a jack of all trades, master of none. I would rather master one thing at a time and exhaust it's potential in order to fulfill myself. However, that requires time. The most precious commodity is time. We all struggle with constant demands on our time and there are constant distractions. Quite frankly, some of us thrive on being busy. I am surrounded by people who fill every minute of every day with chores and appointments. Their to do list is never ending. People who are so driven that they work 12 hour days and train for marathons to manage the stress that is the result of those long days. I get it, we need to find ways to calm the voices in our minds. The nagging voice that keeps telling you that you aren't enough if your aren't continually accomplishing or achieving. The voice that reminds you you're falling behind, trailing in the race.
I think what age is teaching me is that I will never win the race, never mind make the top 100 finalists. I've accepted that reality or should I say I've accepted my limitations. I can't turn back the hands of time. I am no longer interested in proving myself or measuring myself against anyone else. It seems like a waste of that precious commodity; time. Instead I need to figure out how to hold on to the moments I still have. In light of that revelation I've started practicing yoga regularly. My mind is so busy and I find myself foggy and muddle minded a lot. I attribute my state of mind to being too busy. I wish there was a stop button I could push but such is life. I am not nearly as fast paced as some of my friends. In fact I covet time and when I am able to move slowly I do without any guilt. I allow my thoughts to unwind one at a time like my spine during yoga.
I have flocked to yoga like a moth to a flame. The deliberateness of the movements appeal to me. The time to focus on breathing and perfecting the movement of my body is calming. The communal sense of connection as the group moves in sync finding flow in our breathing and bodies fills me with joy. The unraveling of tension as the class progresses. Week by week, month by month I feel a clarity in my mind I've never experienced and I am learning to be more patient. This is a process but I do have time. I have nowhere to go. Not really. I am starting to realize the brilliance of John Kabat-Zinn's aptly titled book on mindfulness ; Wherever you go there you are.
Yoga and meditation teach you to focus on the moment which is incredibly challenging but I think this is how we find more time and slow down. We find something that is meaningful to us and we give ourselves the time to practice and learn to master the skill. If we are successful or not is irrelevant. It's learning to find flow in the moment so time slows down.
I've been reflecting on this conundrum lately. I spread myself too thinly and I am living life on the surface. I can't seem to find flow in my days as they are disjointed and compartmentalized. I don't want to be a jack of all trades, master of none. I would rather master one thing at a time and exhaust it's potential in order to fulfill myself. However, that requires time. The most precious commodity is time. We all struggle with constant demands on our time and there are constant distractions. Quite frankly, some of us thrive on being busy. I am surrounded by people who fill every minute of every day with chores and appointments. Their to do list is never ending. People who are so driven that they work 12 hour days and train for marathons to manage the stress that is the result of those long days. I get it, we need to find ways to calm the voices in our minds. The nagging voice that keeps telling you that you aren't enough if your aren't continually accomplishing or achieving. The voice that reminds you you're falling behind, trailing in the race.
I think what age is teaching me is that I will never win the race, never mind make the top 100 finalists. I've accepted that reality or should I say I've accepted my limitations. I can't turn back the hands of time. I am no longer interested in proving myself or measuring myself against anyone else. It seems like a waste of that precious commodity; time. Instead I need to figure out how to hold on to the moments I still have. In light of that revelation I've started practicing yoga regularly. My mind is so busy and I find myself foggy and muddle minded a lot. I attribute my state of mind to being too busy. I wish there was a stop button I could push but such is life. I am not nearly as fast paced as some of my friends. In fact I covet time and when I am able to move slowly I do without any guilt. I allow my thoughts to unwind one at a time like my spine during yoga.
I have flocked to yoga like a moth to a flame. The deliberateness of the movements appeal to me. The time to focus on breathing and perfecting the movement of my body is calming. The communal sense of connection as the group moves in sync finding flow in our breathing and bodies fills me with joy. The unraveling of tension as the class progresses. Week by week, month by month I feel a clarity in my mind I've never experienced and I am learning to be more patient. This is a process but I do have time. I have nowhere to go. Not really. I am starting to realize the brilliance of John Kabat-Zinn's aptly titled book on mindfulness ; Wherever you go there you are.
Yoga and meditation teach you to focus on the moment which is incredibly challenging but I think this is how we find more time and slow down. We find something that is meaningful to us and we give ourselves the time to practice and learn to master the skill. If we are successful or not is irrelevant. It's learning to find flow in the moment so time slows down.
