Practice moving with slowness

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INDIVIDUALLY

Take a short walk. Move slowly. Notice the sounds & smells around you. Notice your feet, your body, connecting with the earth, whether concrete or dirt. Notice your thoughts & breathing. Be present with the moment itself.

If supportive, repeat the mantra "I am breathing, I am present, I am alive."

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IN COMMUNITY

Gather with a friend, partner or in community. Eat a meal together. Take each bite slowly. With care. Appreciate for the nourishment.

Notice the textures, tastes, smells and colors of the food. Close your eyes as you chew. Notice how your mouth and body feel after each bite.

Imagine the journey of this food: from its birth, to your hands. Rest in the powerful connection to others, to the elements of water, earth, air and fire, to the labor & process it took for this food to make its journey from its place of origin to you.

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AT WORK

Choose a 30 minute period of your work day (when crafting an email, taking part in a meeting, brainstorming an idea, leading a class or any other multitude of work experiences.) Engage at half the pace. Practice listening to what's happening inside your body and mind. Practice taking a few breaths before responding to others.

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After these practices, write about your experience. What did you notice?

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i listen to milkweed seeds, who tell me to call them silkwind and share the wisdom "everything, truly, is so filled with history and aliveness." I follow their guidance.

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i feel the cold rain on my feet and think about my grandmother and my mother's cold feet. I am connected with my maternal ancestors.

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i explore the inside of seashells with my daughter, in awe of the wild imprints of time and splashes of geometry

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i experience grief. my heart caves inside itself at the depth of horror of Israel's recent destruction & attack on Al Shifa hospital in Gaza.

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i listen to my partner's feeling beneath his words. I notice when my behavior is hurtful.

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i feel when I have strayed too far from the winding river of living in alignment and slowly find my way back to my gifts and light

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i rest in the experiences of resistance & letting go within the rapid, ever-evolving transitions of motherhood. In doing this, I honor all mothers.