Wednesday, February 27, 2013

The Stillness in Between

Slow down and enjoy life. It's not only the scenery you miss by going too fast,
you also miss the sense of where you are going and why.
  Eddie Cantor

I read this quote and realized how many times I rush things. One task is barely done and the next has started. Each day is crammed full of ‘to-do’s with no break in between.

At the Yoga Studio, my teacher makes us slow down and listen to our breath as it moves. She tells us to pause in that moment of stillness in which our intake breath changes to our exhale and then to pause again before we breathe in.

Being aware of this makes me appreciate my Yoga time even more. We are not often told to be still, when the only thing to do is to breathe.

University of Portland, Oregon
 The next day with this thought in mind, I caught myself. I had just bitten into a tiny, delectable morsel of chocolate (did my hushed sigh of pleasure) and already had one foot on the floor ready to move. NO! I forced myself to stop and enjoy the flavour of that dark chocolate as it melted in my mouth. “There is no need to rush, stop and enjoy this moment” I said to myself. 

How many times a day do we deprive ourselves of those moments of pleasure that would enrich our day? 


On Saturday mornings, my Sweetie and I have a practice of listening to Stuart McLean on CBC. I am too often multitasking, catching up on emails, emptying a dishwasher or some other task. This past Saturday, I listened. I sipped my coffee and sat back to enjoy the Vinyl CafĂ©. Stuart’s story was about the fictitious Sam and the first sweet kiss from Willow. The story in typical Stuart McLean style included the joys and agonies of First Love. It was worth the time spent sipping and sitting and doing nothing more.

It is just a new habit to form, and I am willing to take the effort of truly being in the moment. I am convinced that it will be worth it. 

What can I tell you about the entire week that flew by? Not much really, but those two moments stood out because I was able to capture the stillness in between.

What will you do this week in those special moments that you capture?

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