Slow Steps to Fast Peace
"If we are not fully ourselves, truly in the present moment, we miss everything."
~ Thich Nhat Hanh
I have many nicknames: zippy, speedy, hummingbird. Slow is just not my natural mode. Moving slow is my challenge. Mindfulness has taught me that usually it's The Mind pushing me--that snarky, yappy voice in my head that nags--hurry up, don't dawdle, faster, faster faster! Where am I running? Why do I have to push beyond this moment? Can't I move slowly, stay present and enjoy the adventure?
When I'm rushingrushingrushing, it's not only my body that feels tense, but my mind that also spins and tightens. The truth is that my mind and body are connected. Tense mind = tense body. Tense body = tense mind. Try this: talk really fast and loud for a minute and notice what happens in your body? Is your jaw or stomach tightening? Do you feel your pulse/heart speeding up? Now let your voice drop and slooooooow down. Do-you-feel-your-gut--relax as your voice becomes gentle and slooows? Congratulations. You have just taken a SLOW STEP TO FAST PEACE.
Today, instead of getting caught in bingeing, purging or starving to relieve tension, Mindfully prevent the tension by choosing SLOW STEPS. Here's an opportunity to practice Mindful Awareness:notice how you feel when you rush and how you feel when you move slowly. What feeling do you prefer--calm or tense? When you experience tightness in your body allow yourself to be curious-- Isn't that interesting? Now you can choose to adjust your pace for the desired peace.
Practice doing each of these at an exaggerated S-L-O-W pace and repeat several times per day.
1. Walk: Create a pace of about 30 steps/minute. Each time you take a step say "NOW". Put your attention on your feel. Notice, your belly relaxes. Exhale. Enjoy.
2. Eat: When you are moderately hungry, sit down to your meal. Practice putting your fork/sandwich/pizza down between bites. Chew slowly with the mantra: chewingchewingchewing
3. Text/email: Does The Mind say that every communication is urgent? Feel the tension in your arms, neck and jaw as you rush? How can you slooow down to calm down?
4. Shower: Since this is something most of us start our day with, wouldn't it be great to shower slowly and take a first-thing-in-the-morning step to peace? Try the mantra: washingwashingwashing. Let yourself be present. Warm water, scented soap. Aaaaaaaaaaah.
5. LAUGH: this does not have to be done slowly. Laugh at how funny it feels to move more slowly,laugh at all the silly things The Mind says. Laugh at everything you can see now that you're taking slow steps: the dog in the dress, the dorky ad on the side of the bus, the dancing traffic cop, the baby hailing a cab.
6. YOU CHOOSE: Practice your own slow step to fast peace and let me know how it goes!
| "Drink your tea slowly and reverently, as if it is the axis on which the world earth revolves - slowly, evenly, without rushing toward the future." ~ Thich Nhat Hanh
No matter how quickly your world or "The Mind" seems to be spinning, when you make the choice to move slowly and fully experience each big moment, your life will become calmer and so will you. When you feel calmer, you are less likely to binge, purge or starve.
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