MOVE SLOWER THAN YOU THINK
At the end of camp M & GL had their final performance. It was a work-shop-y type of number where the teacher called out direction during the show. The kids, creeping along the stage in Suzuki style technique, were given guidance with the same phrase:
Move even slower. Move slower than you think.
These words made an impact on me during the show, and now a month later, they still serve as a daily reminder.
When I feel the pressure to get dinner on the table because I want the kids to eat (and move the whole evening along)…
When I’ve got 15 outfits to pull together (and have only created 10) with a client on her way to review…
And when I put on my precarious platform shoes before racing out the door…
I can move even slower. Slower than I think.
Though it may seem more intuitive to speed up as the pressure comes down, rushing makes me more prone to mistakes and accidents…like slamming my finger in the drawer or twisting my ankle as I step up onto the sidewalk.
By slowing down I give myself time to notice my breath so I can become more thoughtful in my actions, and more present in my day.
When do you think you could slow down a little more?
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Good tip, Elysha. Slow down and smell the flowers, especially in a city like the NYC. I would also recommend “be more mindful as” an add-on. Sometimes when one is mindful, things slow down as a by product. BTW, is that you in the photo?
Yes…I agree totally. I hate to rush because you know, moo – all these planets in Taurus slow me down. But every now and then my Aries rising gets all stressed and frantic…and I have learned that rushing makes everything way worse.
You torally wrote this for me!
I’ll keep this mantra – move even slower; move slower than you think – thank you, Elysha! xo
Maia, I need this one as well! When I heard the teacher calling out the mantra it spoke to me loud and clear. x x Hope you are enjoying your summer!
Good to have the taurus slowing you down! Whenever I rush around (and it happens more than I’d like) it turns me into a frazzled mess…maybe it’s all that air in my chart. xo
That’s a great add-on, Terry. And just as being mindful slows things down, slowing down allows for more mindfulness…what a win win it is to incorporate both!
As for the photo…it’s a sculpture by the amazing artist Carole A. Feuerman. She has this beautiful swimmer series, and I saw this girl / sculpture sitting in the window as I passed by a Chelsea gallery.
I think definitely 🙂 I do have air in my chart too – mercury in Gemini and moon in libra – but it doesn’t make me speedy :). An Aquarian friend of mine manages to fit more in her day with fragile health than I would dream of in two. It’s just how you guys roll!
I am constantly coming back to this myself! Thanks for the reminder!
Oh, how cool that you really heard the message, Elysha….and then shared the wise reminder with us. Thank you–I needed to hear it. Funny thing about dancing, on a related note: Very often it is more challenging to perform movement slowly than quickly (which your kids’ performance may have illustrated). Will have to practice this more often…thanks for the memorable mantra. xxo
ST, the same goes with me in yoga…I find it so hard to move slowly while practicing. It’s like my default speed is set to fast. Thanks so much for being here. I love reading your comments!! x x Hope you’re able to slow down and enjoy the long weekend.