It's everywhere: fast food, Instagram, overnight delivery, ready made and frozen meals, texting...ways in which we can get instant gratification with little effort and little need for patience. Gone are the days of the Pony Express, Aerograms and other forms of snail mail, growing and hunting for our food, taking a train cross country or even waiting for our dial up internet connections. Things move fast these days, faster than they did even five years ago. People sometimes yearn for the "good old days" of slow cooked meals, leisurely conversations and canning their home grown produce. It's so missed there's even a "slow movement" underfoot as it relates to exercise, eating, traveling and socializing.
With a mentality that the more we get done, the more productive and successful we'll be, we over-stuff our day which can have the opposite effect of leaving us feeling unproductive and somewhat frazzled. When we don't get to the 10 things on our to-do list, we might feel that we just aren't quite good enough...oy! I do have a little secret to share with you...slowing down might actually make you more productive.
Two things that haven't changed over the past many years are the broad practices of yoga and meditation, paths leading to more balance in your life, more awareness of your impact and your connection to the whole. And these practices are a slow process. The choice to undertake them is often prompted by the knowledge that they'll be good for us, but we have never been encouraged to look at the long term commitment it takes to truly see its magic. We become impatient, looking for a faster solution because that's what we are accustomed to, so many people stop their practices without giving them time. It's as though we have a societal schism, with one side telling us to be economical and do it efficiently and another side begging us to slow down. Can the two actually coexist? Being both busy and slow?
I have often heard the excuse that "I'm too busy to sit still. My mind just won't settle down. I've tried meditating, but it just doesn't work for me". And here's another part of the secret, in sitting down to meditate we need to let go of having any form of expectation of what we'll get out of it, especially if we're new to the practice. I feel as though I'm still in the early stages of my nine years of committed daily meditation. I have come to understand that this was something that I chose to do for the long haul and it took some prodding from my teachers for me to finally launch into a daily practice.
With that being said, I know that the practice has many moods. Some days it's serene and peaceful. Some days, I'm agitated and bored. Other days my mind seems as though it's racing and some days I find myself being in that perfect place. The point is, it varies and my practice is to become at ease with all of it. What I've noticed from the years of concentrated meditation is that I can more easily slow down and step aside from chaos. I have more ability to pause and notice my reaction before doing or saying something I'll later regret. Over the years, the practice has become a complete part of my day and without the practice, I don't feel as centered throughout the day.
If you're one of those people who loves the idea of meditating or stepping into a yoga practice but hesitate, give yourself another chance. Give yourself ample time to begin to find your way with it. We know that a ton of research has shown the myriad of benefits of different mindfulness, contemplative and meditation practices, but the real benefit is your own personal journey. When we sit, we begin to really get to know ourselves. Like any worthy relationship it will hold up over time.
Begin with 10 minutes of dedicated time each day and give it a year. If you don't feel any different then maybe it's not for you. I'm curious as to what your journey will reveal...are you willing to give it a try? Are you in it for the long haul?
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