[Originally Written: February 13, 2008] Something that’s always been a challenge for me is slowing down. Being worse than a type A (if there were a letter before A, I’d be that type), I have a tendency to walk quickly, sit on the edge of my seat, and rush around to get things done. I speed down the highway. I listen to loud music. I attempt to do a million things at once. But the problem with being that way is that I miss out on so much that makes this life enjoyable.
I’ve been practicing yoga almost daily now for the past two months. The stillness and quiet of my time on the mat is giving me more awareness of the many things that I’d previously missed in my rush through life.
Take the ritual of making tea, for example. Instead of opening up a quick can of Diet Coke for my morning caffeine fix, I’m now having chai tea. Not only is it healthier, but it forces me to take a few minutes away from my desk while I wait for the tea to steep. On really busy days, when my calendar is double-booked and I’m focused on a deliverable, I’m still required to wait 3-5 minutes. I stand in the quiet of the office kitchen with nothing to read, nothing to do, except bob that little tea bag up and down on its string.
That slice of peace, with the aroma of my tea spicing the air in the quiet of the kitchen, is the perfect way to start my morning at the office. My head is clear, my senses are in tune with what’s around me, and my heart is open to enjoying the moment of stillness, of soft, slow reality; the calm before the storm.
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