THE ART OF STOPPING
Hasn’t the pace of life suddenly sped up once again? As we hurtle towards the end of the year I am amazed how quickly old habits are asserting themselves even after months of stripping back and vowing to never revert back to “how things were before.” As the pace of life picks up I am cherishing my yoga practice more than ever as a way to slow down and practice the art of stopping. When we stop, we create the conditions for calm. When we create calm, we have the clear head to get off autopilot and make sure we are heading the the right direction rather than running around in circles.
One quote…
There is a story in Zen circles about a man and a horse. The man is galloping quickly and it appears that he is going somewhere important. Another man, standing alongside the road, shouts, “Where are you going?” and the rider replies “I don’t know! Ask the horse!” This is also our story. We are riding a horse, we don’t know where we are going and we can’t stop. The horse is our habit energy pulling us along, and we are powerless. We are always running, and it has become a habit.
Thich Nhat Hanh
One question…
How do you practice the art of stopping? Looking to the week ahead, where have you actually made time for it?
Sent with love,
Melissa x