Slowing Down for the Holidays
Dear Friends,
I am just back from six wonderful weeks on retreat at Plum Village. Our days were book-ended with meditation daily at 5:30AM and 8:00PM. In between we did lots of working meditation, dharma talks, dharma sharing, and outdoor walking meditations.
One of the biggest differences between life here in Washington DC and life at Plum Village is the pace at which we move. One of the basic practices taught by Thich Nhat Hanh (Thay) and one at the heart of Plum Village life is slowing down. In this upcoming holiday season, we may be pushed to move very fast, but I believe we can find ways to resist the rushing and live with more ease.
"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; live the actual moment. Only this moment is life.” – Thich Nhat Hanh
Here are some of the benefits we can enjoy when we slow down:
Life is more beautiful because we notice all of the small and large conditions for happiness that take place in each moment, but are often missed when we are hurrying.
Our nervous system is able to settle, allowing us to feel much calmer and more relaxed in body and mind. We can find more contentment.
Slowing down allows us the space and time to deeply listen to the concerns and struggles of ourselves and other people. Being lovingly heard is definitely a source of healing for both the one being heard and the one listening.
When we slow down we also have the time and space to listen to our own body and notice tension as soon as it arises. We can then take good care of whatever may be creating the tension - whether from an unnoticed thought or from a physical challenge - and we may have deeper insight into what is needed to release it. We know that bodily tension is unhealthy for us in so many ways, and it can be challenging to notice it when we are moving quickly.
As a result of slowing down, we become gentler and kinder inside and outside of ourselves. If you’re like me, kindness is an important aspiration.
There are many practices that can help us to slow down. To begin, we can notice when we are rushing without judging ourselves. Rushing is a normal reaction to being a human in this world. Once we notice we are rushing, we can remind ourselves that we are fine and that whatever we are rushing to is not a life-or-death emergency (unless you are an EMT or ER doctor and it truly is!).
We can pause and notice the feelings in our body. What does an in-breath feel like in our abdomen, and what does an out-breath feel like? We might notice where we are holding tension in our body and release as much of it as we can with each out-breath. Reminding ourselves as often as needed that we are OK, even if we don’t get the thing we are running after, we act imperfectly, or we miss something important.
It is helpful to practice slowing down in moments when we don’t feel hurried. This is why we meditate and go on retreats. When we meditate, we find contentment, joy, and ease as well as build the capacity to slow down during those really harried moments.
I hope you have ample opportunities to slow down and find joy during the holiday season. Please reach out to me with any questions or reflections.
with love,
annie