Have you ever taken the time to truly slow down in what you're doing and realized that by doing so you gain a tremendous amount of energy, awareness and joy. No...? It's actually quite easy to try.
Take a normal everyday thing like say; eating, so you can practice with the 'slow flow' at any moment in time, at any place and without anybody else noticing it.
Try the power of slowing down by focusing on all your senses while eating, by focusing on the food, the environment you're in and on chewing. Once you've experienced what going slow can do for you, you'll want to try it all the time.
Instead of having a spoonful of food or a whole plate without actually really tasting what you eat, you slow down the whole process of eating. So: when you have your plate in front of you, close your eyes and smell the food for a little bit. Take in the atmosphere by listening. Take a moment to look at the food. Just really take it in. Appreciate that you have food to eat. Be grateful for everything you have, and feel how your energy changes, how you instantly come into the moment just by being completely present with eating. Your thoughts for the day disappear, you are just there, totally fine, and there is nothing but just the act to eat.
©Sacha Knop, Soulwise.
When you actually put the first bite in your mouth, feel the texture on your tongue, taste it, let it melt and allow your taste buds to open up to absorb the different ingredients and make them into a symphony of sensual delight. Chew slowly and intently before you finally swallow your food. Keep doing this until your plate is finished or until you feel full. Now that experience gives you insight into the power of slowing down.
Slowing down gives you a real moment of peace and being in your busy day. It recharges you as you temporarily disconnect from your worries, problems and busy schedule without effort, just by focusing completely in on your food, you zoom out of everything else.
And all of a sudden, life lights up... It's really that easy and yet, it's incredibly hard to keep it up and make it into a supportive habit that runs through your days.
Helping people slow down is my job. I work with inspirational people that live in the fast lane. They need to slow down more then anybody else as they need to be able to perform at their best. But very often they can't get out of their fast pace. That fastness is just too strong. The result is that, over time, they eat up their energy reserve and they'll end up exhausted, sick or depressed, irritated and angry. It often comes down to offloading while at home, which means the fast lifestyle also starts to erode their love-life. Slowing down makes them remember who they really are... it brings them back into that centre where only peace and goodness rule inside. Everybody has that still point, but to know how to access it, is the key.
So what are the benefits of slowing down on a regular basis and why do we really need it?
1.Slowing down and I mean really slowing down, intensifies everything you do and feel a thousand times. You'll experience anything you do more aware and that makes the experience deeper and stronger. Making love becomes incredibly electrifying and erotic, food tastes better, your stomach feels satisfied sooner. Even cleaning or washing up becomes a super positive experience.
2.Slowing down empowers your actions and at the ame time it is sensual and sexy. You and everything you do will become sexier, because of it. Practice it in your love life, and you'll get a deeper tantric experience that leaves you more fulfilled then you ever were before.
3.It's incredibly relaxing and energizing to slow down your fast paced life and it changes your perspective and energy instantly. It feeds your soul, which makes you hear it more clearly.
4.It totally puts you in the moment in your full power, you'll be able to do more in less time. You optimize yourself completely and you'll start to love every step you take as you take it more consciously. Your life just gets transformed.
5.You'll develop extra bounce-back power by knowing the art of slowing down. You take things less personal, you'll be able to accept, let go and move on, which benefits your happiness.
There really is no reason to not slow down! I often get fantastic idea's during my slowing down time because i access my soul's wisdom in those moments. That feeling when you hit inspiration and you've created something, that's just the icing on the cake. It's exiting and new and it's an energy we need to keep following our dreams. We are empty shells without our soul's presence and passion.
To implement slowing down, try the below two exercises.
1.Try washing your hands consciously, every time you wash them.
Close your eyes and turn the tap on. Listen to the running water, feel the soap on your hands and smell the scent, then put your hands together and feel the sensation of slowly soaping them u, your eyes still closed. It is just such an intense, sensual experience. It got me totally hooked. I wanted to experience every part of life like that, and I did and still do. (This exercise comes from Eckhart Tolle's, the Power of Now. His book introduced slowness to me.)
2.The second exercise comes from belly dancing: Walking with awareness.
To walk with awareness, place your feet on the ground with all your attention in your feet while properly rolling them from heel to toe. It naturally slows your walk down and it naturally draws your attention into the moment and into your feet. You will suddenly actually feel how the ground 'moves' under your feet and how it supports you ( it was always there but you never noticed it) and you'll start noticing everything around you much more intense. It's as if you are switching on to the energy of life in that moment and off of the energy in your mind. The difference of living like that is immediately feelable.
Enjoy going slow, intensify the way you live vigorously and reap the rewards. For guidance and support you're welcome for a recharging "Slow Retreat" with me at Soulwise, or for Soul coaching sessions on "Slowing Down" (http://soulwise.co.uk/healing-2-3-4-day-retreats/ ).
Email sacha@soulwise.co.uk for more information.