One of the characteristics of modern day living is that things tend to want to move fast. There is a desire to get somewhere, and the faster that somewhere is arrived at the better. Why ‘faster is better’ is not always understood, but collectively we seem to be buying into a meme that says it is. Have you noticed this sense of quickening, as thought everything is moving faster, including the pace at which you move through the days? I certainly feel it, and I have noticed how the quickening is negatively affecting people’s stress levels and ability to relax, enjoy, and be present in each moment. As life’s tempo quickens, our expectations about the time it takes to satisfy our wants and desires are also changing. We live in an age of near-instant gratification. With the touch of a few buttons, the riches of the material world- pleasureable food and drink, shopping, communication, drugs, enterainment, almost anything we want- are available, anytime we want them, with few limites or constraints. Instant gratification is the need to experience fulfillment without any sort of delay or wait. It is the mindset of ‘gotta have it now,’ and it is a driving force that comples us to satisfy our needs and urges as soon as possible. Even our expectation of ‘instant’ has become faster- the more we get what we want now, and our ability to be patient, to wait, and to allow something to simply take time, is diminishing.
The demand for instant results has seeped into every corner of our lives. We now expect personal growth- a phenomenon long considered to be gradual- to happen overnight. So many people on the path of self-development, want to ‘get there’ - in other wares we have the ability to make things happen without having to wait, so why should our growth process be any different? This poses a challenge for personal transformation because now the process is at risk of striving for a faster fix or the ‘aha moment.’ Anf if one isn’t had, there can be a sense of disappointment that the desired breakthrough didn’t happen. Both students and teachers are susceptible to this midset. I’ve had students who, at the end of a session in which they’ve had to grind through a particularly tough issue, feel deflated becasue it wasn’t resolved in that hour. Patience has become a rare commodity, even in the world of yoga, meditation and self-development, because people are not used to waiting long for what they desire.
It is important to recognize that change within the the human transformational process happens gradually, over prolonged periods of time. It is not uncommon for a person to take ten to twenty years or more to move through a period of profound inner transformation. Dr. David Hawkins points out in Power vs. Force that it is a very rare thing indeed for people to transcend the parameters of their native state of consciousness (the level of consciousness they are born into), but for those who do, it usually takes dedication and perseverance over long periods of time. The vast majority of humanity does not understand this, and when coupled with the increasing need for instant gratification, we have a potent mix for frustration and disappointment when things don’t happen as quickly as expected. Does this way of living optimally support inner shift and renewal a the deepest level of self?
Moment of Pause - Reflect on How Fast Do you go?
Over the next few days begin to notice in youself:
The speed at which you talk
The speed at which you walk and move around
The speed at which you eat
The speed at which your mind moves
The speed at which you response to another person in the conversations
Your leve of patience with other people and events.
How optimal are these rhythms for you?
Practice 1- Slow It All Down and Sync with the Rhythm of Life
Connection - Sync with the Rhythm of Life and Spirit
Life has various rhythems and tempos, some optimal for our well-being and growth, and some not. When you attune to the rhythm of life and Spirit, you will notice that it has it s own unique character: it’s flowing, grounded, nourishing, energizing, sustaining, and more life-giving than the speed at which modern day life moves. In my experience, the more I slow down and give time for yoga, meditation, and connecting to the here and now, the more I am able to connect with the rhythms of life that are optimal for the well-being of my body, mind and soul. For others, proximity to nature and its energies and rhythms creates that same sense of well-being. When I live in harmony with those natural rhythms, from wherever I derive them, I thrive. Conversely, when I get caught up in the hustle and bustle, succumbing to the pressure to get things done, move things forward, make things happen (the faster the better, of course), or when I try to push or force things to happen that are not ready to happen, stress and tension settle in, and I am no longer in my optimal state of connection, flow, and well-being. I am effectively acting against my own desire to live at a higher level of personal consciousness.
The seocond practice of slowing it all down and syncing with the rhythm of life and spirit is the antidote. This inner shift practice acknowledges the important role that slowing down plays in harmonizing us with a tempo that supports personal well-being and transformative growth. Within the natural rhythms of life there is an inherent cadence that modulates your energy systems so that growth and shift can unfold gracefully and more peacefully. (The din of culture can interfere with your ability to sense this rhythm.) You are then able to perceive more of what life and Spirit wish to co-create wiht you through your thoughts, feelings, and actions.
The Challenge to Slowing Down
What I have observed is that slowing things down is easy to say but not always easy to do. People will say, “Yes, I know I need to slow down in my life, and I know it will benefit me because I’m feeling the stress and pressure of needing to do more. My life is go, go, go, and it’s not good for me I know, but… Taking a break from work or making time for life’s pleasure is one thing, but when it comes to slowing life down to the point where it becomes a transformative practice, that’s another matter entirely. For msot people it would require radical change to slow it all down and sync the totality of their life to the rhythm of Spirit. For starters, it requires an honest examination of your values, and then a concerted reconfiguration of priorities, aspirations, and lifestyle to comfortably embody a slower, more natural rhythm. The reconfiguration aspect is a challenge, given how people today organize their lives and how entrenched the ‘go faster, do more’ meme is within our collective culture, but you don’t have to live in the same way.
Moment of Pause - Just Be
Take a few deep, slow breaths. Slow down even further whatever rhythm you are currently experiencing. As you do this, notice what shifting to an even deeper rhythm feels like. Sense the wavelength of the new rhythm, the easing of your presence within it, the relaxation of your muscles, the dissipation of tension, the expansion fo your heart, the softening of your belly. With each breath you take, slow it all down more and more. Let go of all thoughts or expectatons and simply enjoy the harmonious energy that is arising within you at this very moment. there is no where to go, nothing that must be attained or completed.
Just be.
This inner activity can be done at any time, no matter where you are or what you are doing.
Moment of Pause- Noticing your rhythm
Pause here for a moment, and notice the tempo at which you are reading through the lines and message. Take a deep breath and become aware of the space you have created and the rhythm and energy you are experiencing. Whenever you feel hurred and stressed, take a few deep breaths and attune to a better rhythm, the true rhythm of life and Spirit. Trust in this and life will take its natural course through you.
Reflect for a moment on your optimal life rhythm, the tempo that serves your highest well-being. Howwould you characterize it?
How often during the average day do you find yourself in that rhythm, and for how long?
What happens (in life or in work) when you slow down and sync with the rhythm of life?
Where in your life do you feel most out of sync?
What keeps you out of sync or out of your optimal rhythm?