Slowing down is on the agenda.

Is slowing down on your agenda? Or do you feel like a hampster on the wheel, trying to get through this summer intact? Check out this beauty, and tell me it doesn’t relax you immediately:

“Give me a quiet life, give me trees, the wind through them, give me a sea and the song it sings.

Give me heartbeats shared with those I love, give me peace and a long, deep sleep.” – T.K. Gregson.

For so long, I think I’ve been conditioned to live on a kinetic wave of busyness.

Continuous working, pushing, striving, thinking, planning, etc., have all been the norm. And when I had pockets of free time, I’d effortlessly fill them with even more distraction.

Then, recently, I had a lightbulb moment. I took an online class with Tara Brach. During meditations, I realized I wasn’t breathing fully. My exhales were tight, and I wasn’t allowing my stomach to relax into the breath.

Learning to slow down and relax into a deeper breath felt so good!

So what is the message for the month that I’m learning?

Now is a great time to slow it all down, and to breathe in the air of peace and lightness.

Slowing down doesn’t mean stopping everyday life in its tracks. To me, it means relaxing and easing my mind. Then I can allow some space to move between my thoughts.

It’s also helpful to realize that I don’t need to push so hard. I can step off the wild merry-go-round any time I want. I can allow my thoughts to unravel and find that peace inside them.

So when can this start?

Right now.

Even amid endless busyness, you can create space and slow down.

This is the biggest lesson I’ve needed to learn. Because in slowing down, I find that freedom and peace I seek.

PS: Click here for quick and easy tips on slowing down today.

And, look here to see how laziness might be the one thing you’re missing.

Happy August! We still have some time to relax.