Slowing down is simple, but not easy.

Slowing down done well, is a discipline. It develops strength and longevity needed for healthy aging.

Yoga therapy is a discipline which supports slowing down to expand awareness of how speed gets embedded in the body, mind, and heart.

Rushing, hurrying, staying busy, and constantly moving on to the next thing gradually become habits that shape how we live, breathe, move, think, feel, and relate to others.

Just as repetitive movement patterns can lead to physical strain and injury, chronic speed is a repetitive stress injury to the nervous system.

As you reflect, notice:

• What symptoms of speed do you experience in your body?

• Where does hurry show up in your thoughts?

• How does rushing affect your emotional responses?

Unchecked speed can disrupt the body's systems and lead to aimless striving and endless pursuits (Isaiah 53:6).

This summer, let’s practice slowing down not as another task to check, but as an embodied, holistic discipline.

A returning to what really matters.

“In returning and rest, you will be saved. In quietness and trust you will find strength.”—Isaiah 30:15 (VOICE)