Slowing Down When the World is Moving Fast

Ouch!

Two nights ago, I started having intense lumbar and sacral back pain. I could not comfortably sit, stand or lie down. Going from sitting to standing was the worst. My body was an uncomfortable place to be. Yesterday, I worked on clients straight through the discomfort, like I usually do with pain. Today, three of my four clients cancelled. That is a rarity, so I cancelled the last one. It is rare that I cancel clients, but I felt I really needed the rest and recuperation. Historically, with that many cancellations, I would have gone into a scarcity mentality. In this instance though, I sighed and thought, "The gift of time!" The world is always moving so fast, I must learn the medicine of slowing down when the world is moving fast.

Last night, I did a lot of slow deep stretching, and let myself breath into the pain, and felt it start to unwind. Such a range of emotions I experienced with allowing myself to feel and breath into the pain. Today I awoke feeling immensely better, though still sore and tender. I saw my chiropractor and received bodywork from a friend and then went for a walk in the woods, with mindfulness in each step.

Honoring the pace

My usual pace is rather usually quick, and I often find it challenging to slow down. There is so much living to do! But I only have this one body. This one sacred body. When I experience such pain in this body, I remember how fragile we all are. Anything can happen in any moment. So this is the only moment. The only body. Live it fully.

I intentionally chose this song because it brings me joy and makes me want to dance like a crazy dance monkey, so I embraced the medicine of slowing down when the world is moving fast as a conscious practice.

Photo credit to Anna M. Maynard