Having a now 3 year old and her wonderful high energy all around also makes slowing down a challenge, but even when she's at preschool or with her sitter, I'm still running around, checking off my ever growing to do list when I could be using that time to sit and meditate, write in my journal, read etc.
Being so pregnant has made me physically slow down as I hobble around the house, to the car, out on errands. I've definitely got the penguin walk going on and all this extra weight is brutal to carry around on these hot summer days; and I've been lucky it hasn't been nearly as hot as last summer! But even as I am physically forced to slow down, my mind seems to have taken things up a notch or two. My thoughts are a blur of things to do, food to cook, places to go and people to see all before this baby comes. Yet I know deep down the best preparation for when this newborn comes is getting more comfortable with stopping everything because that's what I'm going to have to do.
Stephen Levine is the author of the book, "Who Dies: An Investigation of Conscious Living and Conscious Dying" where he talks about his work with athletes who are injured to the point of not walking or who are debilitated because of an accident or illness and cannot perform as they once did. He worked with them on accepting where they were and slowing their mind and meditating. This always comes to my mind when I think about how fast and uncontrollable my mind gets, regardless of my physical state. It is especially salient right now because I will be in a state of complete slowness postpartum and will have some very intimate time with my mind. We can all use some mind slowing, the trick is doing it so that when we aren't able to be distracted by our physical running around and "doing" we can touch peace within.
Slow down! Appreciate. Love. Breathe.
The photo for this post is from Free Digital Photos - http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/
