The Power of Slowing Down
One of the most evident aspects of living in modern western culture is just how fast paced it is. This isn’t something that is necessarily new to society, but with the continual advances in technology and the constant focus on efficiency and maximizing profits, this can leave us humans in a perpetual cycle of moving way too fast for what our unique bodies can effectively handle. Time is something that all of us to some degree are short of, however many are drowning in the monotony of doing the same exact thing each and everyday, and are hustling to the point of diminishing ones health and vitality in the process. Admittedly this is something I often struggle with too, as a I truly believe none of us are really immune to this at all times. However I do believe by adding a steady level of mindful awareness to it, we can truly begin the invaluable process of slowing down.
It’s interesting, because not even a week prior to writing this, I found myself caught in the cycle of “doing too much.” My lovely lady and I recently relocated to Austin, Texas (having spent the previous two years together just 3.5 hours north in Dallas). Both excited about the vibe of the being in a new place and the opportunities to start fresh, I hit the ground running. Countless lunches and tea meetings (I don’t do coffee) with locals, as well as multiple networking events each week, in order to better get acclimated to the new city.
While actually enjoying this process and the excitement that it brings of just connecting with new faces, in just two months in my new home, I found myself in a bit of a predicament.
I started to notice a pattern creep up that I’m all but too familiar with from my past; underlying anxiety from overfilling my schedule.
Client meetings are always my top priority, but between all the packing, moving and decorating a new place, continual business and new acquaintance meetings, and prioritizing time with my partner to just “be,” I found myself falling into a place of feeling like I consciously needed time to disconnect. However I felt resistance to creating the space to do so.
Some off putting things I recently began noticing about myself were:
That my patience was shrinking
The quality and duration of my sleep was no longer on point
I was genuinely starting to let certain aspects of my daily routine suffer (reducing meditation time, not reading my goals every night before bed, and starting to lean a bit too much on the dark chocolate)
But most importantly, I could sense that my heart was beginning to close to a certain extent, as my body was now leaning into full defense and protection mode
As an ambitious person, I naturally shrugged a few of these off, in order to get back into my “no excuses” warrior mode.
“You don’t have enough time to just sit Brandon”
“Where would you even go to disconnect?”
“You’re being kind of soft bro, step it up and push harder”
These were a few of the thoughts that had been permeating through my psyche and preventing me from taking the next step.
This reached a climax last week, when I finally decided to take the plunge and sign up for a 3-Day Silent Retreat about an hour and half away from the city. It was at the RainbowHearth Sanctuary & Retreat and ended up being exactly what I needed.
Quiet - Check
Minimalistic lodging – Check
Organic food – Check
Surrounded by nature – Check
Leaving my laptop at home and cell phone completely off – Quadruple check
While still a bit apprehensive, I decided (with a more than agreeable nudge from my partner) to make it happen.
I woke up to no alarm clock, spent hours reading outside by the lake, and went on a couple short hikes each day to just take in the fresh air.
It felt so pleasant waking up to birds chirping in the early mornings and watching a beautiful sunset at the dusk of the evening.
It was truly a peaceful, calm, and re-grounding experience.One in which I feel very fortunate to have allowed myself to tap into.
It’s actually funny because I found myself wanting to take pictures pretty badly, but with the phone locked up in the car, I stuck to my self agreement and didn’t bring it out.
As a man who’s dedicated his life to a passion of self-care,I even have to remind myself sometimes to slow down.
The more and more I’ve become aware of my body (which a lot of us men are disconnected from); the more sensitive I realize it truly is.
It’s like a gift and a curse. A gift in that I’m able to feel and understand it more deeply than ever before, but at the same time it’s a reminder that I’m not able to move at the same unhealthy speed that I thought I was getting away with in the past.
How much is enough?
If you find yourself in the “doing too much” mode, try this short exercise:
Close your eyes and place your hand over your heart
Take 5 deep breaths
With your eyes still closed, ask yourself “What is my body trying to tell me in this moment?”
Allow as much space or time as you need, to feel into any sensations or flashes of insight that may come up
Don’t force it, just allow whatever comes up to come up
Before opening your eyes, with your hand still over your heart, use your imagination to send some love and appreciation from your heart, all the way throughout your body
Once done (at your own pace), open up your eyes and notice if you feel any different from just before the exercise, to now
I’ve found this to be a beautiful way to slow down and tap into the heart space, which naturally helps radiate healing love and energy throughout the body.
If you’ve come to a place in your life where you feel like time and time again you’re hitting the same wall, a wall that has brought you to a crossroads of feeling stuck, and you find yourself sitting in the drivers seat while continually watching your health go in the opposite direction of leading you on the path of becoming the greatest and most authentic expression of you, and most importantly are tired of making excuses for yourself, lets chat about it on a 30-minute complimentary Discovery Call to see if coaching may be the one thing you need to get unstuck and take the next step in your life’s journey.
With Love,
Brandon