"...feelin groovy..."!

There is a song from the early 60s that goes, in part:  “Slow down, you move too fast; you have to let the moment last...”
In our busy lives, slowing down can be so fulfilling, without detracting from accomplishing our goals.

“Slow food” was one of the first examples of the slowing down movement.  The Italian Carlo Petrini finally spoke up and protested against hurrying up while eating.  Important aspects of sharing a meal, such as tasting the flavors and conversing were lost, not to mention the detrimental effects on digestion when eating in a hurried way.  A “slow food” restaurant assures the customer a meal in all it’s completeness and beauty without rushing.  The energy is calm and attentive because everyone working in such a restaurant is affected when getting multiple seatings in is not the priority.

“Slow parenting” focuses on the rightful timing of healthy growth.  The developmental stages of a child cannot be sped up.  One stage builds on the previous one.  For the child to grow into a considerate, well integrated and inspired person, each developmental phase wants to be fully experienced and accompanied by the parents with patience and interest.  It is important to take the time to unpack difficult situations and discover the gold, beauty and hidden treasures of the journey towards the evolution of a free and competent individual.

“Slow money”  has at it’s core a paradigm that financing businesses and their growth needs to evolve at a natural tempo.  The business has to be able to sustain itself at every stage without exhausting it’s employees or resources.  Financing and investment expectations for such businesses are oriented to a pace and return level that makes agreed upon sense for all involved.  The profit of doing business in this slow way, often a food, agriculture or nature based company, is well earned as opposed to leaving traces of destruction and exhaustion behind.

These representations, among others, of energy practices and attitudes, serve as important counter points to the accelerating world around us.  Even as computers go ever faster and communication methods require instantaneous responses, more and more people are seeking to find new ways of pacing activities and life that are aligned with natural rhythms, that are nuanced and allow for being more present in every moment.

Slowing down doesn’t necessarily mean being less efficient.  A good mix of rest, contemplation and savoring the present combined with purposeful action can be greatly effective.

If we can create intervals in life (which could include a massage or skincare treatment...just sayin’...) and develop the skills and consciousness to live a pace of life that suits us; chances are much higher that we will experience greater health, balance, depth and joy in all we do.  And who knows what we will discover?!



~Claudia