Over the past few weeks, the holiday season, I was aware of how much I truly need (mind, body and spirit) to slow down. Since my yoga teacher training in March and April of this past year, things have started to slow down naturally with a daily sadhana. My teacher, Prasad Rangnekar, was adamant if we learned nothing else, to start slowing down in our lives. My slowing down has been first about awareness. Aware that I just spent eight hours focused on work, completely neglecting myself, only find myself dehydrated and stiff from sitting and forgetting to drink enough water. Aware that I just booked every night in the coming week with something, with no time to just relax and let go. Aware of thoughts going into the future, keeping me from being in the present, living fully today. Aware that when I take time to sit and be still, I feel more peaceful, more connected to everything around me, content. Aware when I take time to come back to my spiritual practices, other things I thought were important, suddenly aren't and I can let them go.
So, 2016 has started to become my year of slowing down in my actions, my planning, my doing. Looking at my schedule and starting to prioritize, seeing areas I can cut back on, seeing areas that if I add will help with slowing down. Finding moments in my doings to pause, notice, breathe, go inward to take a break from the outside. Being keenly aware of my thoughts that get restless, that push me to do more, move more, add more. I've been doing some "harm reduction strategies" with those thoughts recently. Like a shopaholic, going from buying, buying, to window shopping only or looking at catalogs and then throwing them out...then one day, the desire to window shop or look at catalogs slowly wanes. Thoughts say, "You don't know what you're doing, let's sign up for another teacher training. I'm bored, let's figure out a weekend getaway." I've allowed myself to peruse options in these areas, gotten feedback from others, then waited for 2-3 days till the urge has left and I think about money I've saved, come back to more spiritual focuses and smile at those past thoughts. My hope is one day those urges will be less intense, come less often and even disappear.
I'm very good at scheduling and planning. I've worked hard the past eight or so years to keep the planning in check. I've gotten to the point where, more times than not, a weekend is open and the decision of what to do is made Thursday or Friday. At times, I keep possible events or activities in mind, then wait to see how I'm feeling when the time comes and then decide if I can commit or not. What I've realized is that I can use this skill to help plan slowing down. Carve out time to write weekly, put in my calendar a day of silence, have an evening routine that includes sitting for 30 minutes before bed. Be intentional about time that is about being and enjoying. If I type something into my Google Calendar, more likely than not, I will follow through. It becomes a commitment.
In the moments I've slowed down and noticed, my mind is more at peace, my body is able to recover and relax, and I'm connected to my spirit - full of love and joy.
So, 2016 has started to become my year of slowing down in my actions, my planning, my doing. Looking at my schedule and starting to prioritize, seeing areas I can cut back on, seeing areas that if I add will help with slowing down. Finding moments in my doings to pause, notice, breathe, go inward to take a break from the outside. Being keenly aware of my thoughts that get restless, that push me to do more, move more, add more. I've been doing some "harm reduction strategies" with those thoughts recently. Like a shopaholic, going from buying, buying, to window shopping only or looking at catalogs and then throwing them out...then one day, the desire to window shop or look at catalogs slowly wanes. Thoughts say, "You don't know what you're doing, let's sign up for another teacher training. I'm bored, let's figure out a weekend getaway." I've allowed myself to peruse options in these areas, gotten feedback from others, then waited for 2-3 days till the urge has left and I think about money I've saved, come back to more spiritual focuses and smile at those past thoughts. My hope is one day those urges will be less intense, come less often and even disappear.
I'm very good at scheduling and planning. I've worked hard the past eight or so years to keep the planning in check. I've gotten to the point where, more times than not, a weekend is open and the decision of what to do is made Thursday or Friday. At times, I keep possible events or activities in mind, then wait to see how I'm feeling when the time comes and then decide if I can commit or not. What I've realized is that I can use this skill to help plan slowing down. Carve out time to write weekly, put in my calendar a day of silence, have an evening routine that includes sitting for 30 minutes before bed. Be intentional about time that is about being and enjoying. If I type something into my Google Calendar, more likely than not, I will follow through. It becomes a commitment.
In the moments I've slowed down and noticed, my mind is more at peace, my body is able to recover and relax, and I'm connected to my spirit - full of love and joy.
No comments:
Post a Comment