Slow Down to Speed Up
When it seems the pace of life speeds up, we generally do what we can to accommodate it (mostly out of habit). And that is probably the worst thing that we can do for ourselves. We’re unconscious to what our needs actually are in that moment, and we’re expending extra energy to meet a need that is being imposed from an external source.
Think of it like this: when you’re in a hurry, and you’re trying to get that last thing done (cook a meal, get dressed fast, find a gas station on the way to an appointment), the hurry creates unexpected and undesirable outcomes (not-quite-done food, broken zippers, the gas station on the other side of the freeway or a speeding ticket). In order to go faster, we need to slow down and, ideally, be in a fully charged state.
If you don’t have a full energy tank, you don’t have the power you need to get things done and make things happen, much less in the most effective way possible. It works against you as time matches your vibration and slows down in resonance with your low energy reserves. Whatever is happening in our outer world is actually a mirror image of our inner experience, so if the world seems to be speeding up, it could be that your energy is low and that it’s time for you to slow down to replenish.
This exchange of energy, between how you are feeling and how your world is showing up, is the key to understanding your vitality levels and achieving what you want. When life is requiring you to move faster, that’s exactly when you need to consider what that means for you and if you need to replenish your energy reserves so you can move faster. And there are some simple ways that you can slow down and replenish your energy so you can move faster when that’s what you really want to do.
1. Notice what areas are speeding up for you in order to determine where you need to slow down. These areas will likely correspond to limitations or beliefs that are requiring some attention and/or healing, and they may be unconscious to you. However, these areas will have tremendous affect on how you make decisions and experience your life by sabotaging your progress (among other symptoms). By acknowledging, honoring and/or releasing these areas with gratitude, forgiveness, suspending judgment and/or truly owning your experience, you will gain acceptance of yourself and others as well as clarity to power the expression of your best energy.
2. Feel your physical body and receive the messages it is sending to you. Many people will often get stuck in living in their heads, or in reaction from emotional triggers, but when you are present in your body, you can shift your perspective and savor the moment. Your body will help you tune into what you really need to know, and help you understand exactly what you need to do right now to nourish yourself.
3. Pay attention to your subtle energy field; that is, sink into your aura, sense your chakras, and feel if your energy feels ‘off’ in any way. If yes, there is an imbalance somewhere in your system or your environment that needs to attention. To feel your subtle energy field, get comfortably seated, close your eyes, take three deep breaths, and wait – just notice what comes up for you. If your grocery list or your to do items come up, push those aside until you get the message that’s trying to get your attention. No need to chant or sit lotus-style either! This is about spending 11 minutes at a time to tune into your energy and get a ‘read’ on what’s happening for you.
4. Get good sleep. Your physical body needs to recharge, and so do all your other bodies (energy, spirit, intellect, emotion, etc.). When under stress, our bodies take the toll of that transition. You may find yourself nodding off at strange times, needing a nap out of the blue, or a desire to go to bed early or sleep late. If that happens, just follow what your body wants and do it. You may find that your dreams take you away to a refreshing paradise!
5. Do a little dreaming, especially when you are awake. By allowing yourself to go into the place of possibility through open imagination, you might find yourself pursuing new directions you’d never considered, wandering through worlds you never knew about within yourself. Within you right now is the potential to create, do and be more than you ever thought possible with your linear mind. By allowing your dreams to have expression, you can revitalize your spirit in innumerable ways. (And it’s a bonus that this is the beginning of a creative manifestation process as well – what you see is what you get!)
The one thing that each of these has in common is to be really present with yourself through a variety of connection points to understand your needs more clearly, and meet them. By taking the time and making the investment in recharging and raising your vibration, you are enhancing your ability to create and magnetically draw to you all that is connected to the radiant essence of your true being. You will be ready to receive the generosity of nature in action. You are allowing the Universe some ‘wiggle room’ to deliver what it is that you want in your life.
Slowing down is the most responsible act of self-love you can do – and you will be rewarded with more of what you want when you’re not busy chasing it. You will find that you have the ability to speed up to your optimal pace whenever you want… kinda makes you want to take a break and draw a hot bath, doesn’t it?