If you’re anything like me then you have a running to-do list next to you at all times. Whether it’s digital or written on your favorite stationery (I’m a stationery kind of girl), it’s ever growing. Even when you get the distinct pleasure of crossing one thing off, there are four more things to be added and dreams of that self-care ritual you had planned for yourself (i.e. bath, walk, or a much needed yoga class) have gone out the window.
There’s an old saying that you have to slow down to go fast. It sounds like complete garbage until you actually do it. You take the moment to stop and focus on your breath. You get up from your desk, leaving your to-do list behind you, to stretch your hand above your head or go put your feet in the warm grass. And then all of a sudden, as you slow down, you get re-inspired, re-invigorated and you’re ready to back to work, at least until the next slow down is needed.
Our society loves to go fast, to always have more, and to prove that we’re enough (guilt for all of the above). But in the rat race to the top, we lose the magic of the everyday and those slow moments that make life worth living. So just like you need a slow moment within your day, your fitness routine could probably also use a slow down here and there.
Restorative yoga, Yin yoga, and Yoga Nidra are all powerful ways to slow down, tune-in, and allow your body the rest it needs in order to speed up down the road (Say when you’re chasing your kid in the park or traveling to one of your favorite destinations for a yoga retreat). ‘Ohana’s ever growing YouTube library doesn’t just offer Yoga + Barre classes that will burn energy, help you lose weight, or make you feel like you did “enough” today, it also has classes to slow you down and remind you of the divine feminine nature that wants to nurture and sooth you.
Explore one of these slower classes to start or end you day and see what a little time tuning-in and resting can do for you in the long run. (Hint: burn-out won’t be knocking at your door!)
Katie Jackson is an Ohana YTT Graduate and Artist in the Denver Area. She creates artwork and wallpaper that showcases the magic in the ordinary and helps others live a simpler more peaceful life. Get tips + resources to create a calmer life and home with her free slow living library