Wisdom in Summary:
Many of us currently sense the message: S-L-O-W … D-O-W-N.
Okay, and then what?
- Jump on social media?
- Bake bread?
- Cook an elaborate meal that takes all-day?
No. That is all fine and dandy, but it is opposite of slowing down. These are simply redirecting our focus to other busy-work. Slowing down is a process that moves us into a place of stillness.
Let us take a closer, slower look at what it means to S-L-O-W … D-O-W-N right now. Join me on a journey into Infinite Eternity; the gap at the intersection between time & space.
Deeper Dive:
The process of slowing down is like bringing a mile-long train to a stop. It takes a concerted, focused effort. It takes incremental, intentional braking. First, it is applying brakes to the body, next to the mind, and then (yes even) the Spirit.
Apply Brakes to Body
First, we must apply brakes of our body by stopping all action. This is a challenge because many of us are addicted to being busy. It has been engrained that if we are not busy, then we are ‘lazy’ and a plethora of other derogatory terms. So, I challenge the reader to simply sit. If comfortable sitting inactive for 5 minutes, then I challenge to do so for 10 minutes. If we are able to sit inactive daily for 20 minutes or more, we have effectively accomplished the initial step in slowing down. We have successfully applied brakes to our body.
What to ‘do’ during that 20 minutes? Initially, it will be very uncomfortable, uneasy. This again is due to childhood imprinting that to sit and do nothing is wrong. For now, simply observe those emotions, fears, thoughts, voices, and triggers. If it is helpful, remind yourself that you are accomplishing something because you are doing the ’20-minute challenge.’ Be assured that after doing this 20-minute challenge for a few days, it will become easier. During my break in the action, I sit and stare out the window, stare into a flame, or watch my baby vegetables grow on my window sill. These are all good non-action activities, if you will.
Apply Brakes to Mind
After we have successfully accomplished the break in action, we can move to the next level in our incremental, intentional braking. Slowing down the mind; even more challenging than slowing the body. I acknowledge that it takes years of practice for those doing meditation to ‘quiet the mind’. I certainly hope to attain that skill someday. For now, I settle for the skill of slowing down the mind, and here is a visual that readers may find helpful.
Firstly, what exactly am I talking about? We all know about the voice in our head; small self, ego from the logic-centered portion of our brain that I call ‘the mind’. That small-self voice loves to keep us suffering by spinning us in a flurry of thoughts. We fly from one topic to the next without it ever taking a breath. Whenever it can, it will throw in hurtful thoughts that trigger our emotions. When we allow that to happen, then the spinning takes on a whole new level of force. This cycle of thoughts and emotions can be quite overwhelming if we allow it. It brings in all sorts of ‘what-if’ scenarios, doubts, fears, and so on. All are intended to keep us occupied and focused on it; the small-self, ego in the logic-centered portion of our brain.
In slowing down the mind, we take a proverbial ‘step back’. We recognize that this small-self voice is separate from our True Self.
A visual to assist this process:
Imagine that this voice and all its antics are placed inside a fishbowl; securely contained and clearly visible for observation.
Then as it throws around thoughts and tries to tie into our emotions, we can simply say “is that so.” The more we sit still and observe our fishbowl-captured mind, the more we are able to detach from it. The more detached we become, the less reactive we are to its antics. We realize and say “you have no control over me.” And then, one day, we realize that we can look elsewhere. There is no need to stay focused on the fishbowl. We turn our attention elsewhere; into that quiet area that has been patiently awaiting our attention.
Congratulations, we have successfully accomplished slowing down the mind. Now, during the 20-minutes of non-action, we can practice moving our attention away from the chattering mind and into the quiet stillness.
Apply Brakes to Spirit
I sense many readers getting uncomfortable with my suggestion that we should slow down our Spirit. Bear with me on this; hear me out. As I write this, I sense that many of us have pre-defined expectations of our spiritual path. We use our logical mind to compare our ‘spiritual aptitude’ to other’s. We set spiritual goals and measure our perceived success by some arbitrary benchmark. This, my dear friend, is what we are applying brakes to.
I challenge the reader to apply brakes to the critical analysis that they do of their Spirit Self. This is the greatest challenge of all because the only way to stop the analysis is to stop looking at your Spirit Self.
Drop all pretenses. Set everything down relating to your Spiritual path. Allow your Spirit to simply BE. FREE. Untethered. Undefined. Unlimited. Infinite. Eternal.
A-ho and Amen and Alleluia.
MAGIC HAPPENS
Now, Magic Happens!
As we slow down the body,
and then slow down the mind,
and then release our Spirit from expectation
. . . we experience an awakening.
YES !
There appears an opening into the vastness of Eternity.
All becomes available to us.
Infinite potentialities appear before us, filling our hearts to overflowing.
Everything is available. And yet, we realize nothing is needed.
For, we have reached a still-point where just being there is enough.
. . .
The more time we are able to stay in that spot of stillness, the grander the opening becomes. And, the fuller and more complete we are. This is what people have described as bliss.
This is BE-ing without doing.
In these moments of completeness, we know clarity, our body becomes strength, our mind moves to peace, and our Spirit expands exponentially into the freedom that we ARE.
Conclusion:
Thank you for joining me on a journey into Infinite Eternity; the gap at the intersection between time & space. Thank you for exploring the concept of what it means to S-L-O-W … D-O-W-N.
Do you agree?
Do you have other experiences?
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Aho,
With loving intentions, Lila