The art of going slow

With the new year in full swing, you may have already found yourself burning the candle at both ends. Life a lot of the time can be a juggle, yet it’s not a race. So why are we so obsessed with rushing?! It may be societal pressure to achieve, progress’, ‘having it all, and all at once.’ I believe for many of us slowing down is hard, it may sound boring or dull. In many ways it’s going against the grain in modern culture. Yet aren’t we seeking better ways to be mindful, pay attention, manage stress and navigate our lives with more ease. I wholeheartedly believe choosing to slow down is the secret sauce! It invites us to approach our life with a sense of curiosity & wonder. With our practice most of us were drawn to yoga because of the physical, the exercise element, the sweat! As we deepen our practice our hope is to ‘wake up’ and pay more attention. Yoga can open ourselves up to ask questions & invite us to find more about who we are. To ask ourselves, how does my body feel today? What’s awake & what’s sleepy? If we take the time to slow down the pace of our movement and bring awareness to our breath, our nervous system can have a better understanding on how to regulate and find balance.

Take it to the mat:

Breathe, breathe, breathe - play with slowing down the breath in a Vinyasa practice, this will slow down transitions

Notice when you’re rushing - ‘wake up’ and pay attention

Become more curious - how does my body feel in the pose? Can I soften any part of my body? Is there a part of my body I can activate?

Yin Yoga - If you’re a yang yogi, give yin yoga a go!

Be skillful - practice completely, finish each pose and avoid rushing to the next posture

Meditate - even for 5 minutes. Sitting still, observing our breath & thoughts is a great way to slow down

Listen - to your body and breath you don’t need to do every pose, shape or offering.

Keep practicing - be patient and kind to yourself. The art of slowing down is a skill and just like anything takes practice.