Why Slowing Down Feels So Hard (and Why Your Body Needs It)

In a world that moves quickly, slowing down can feel surprisingly uncomfortable.

Even when we know we need rest… even when we feel overwhelmed, anxious or exhausted

there can be a part of us that resists it.

We reach for our phones. We fill the space. We keep moving.

But are we moving in the right direction? For our hearts, minds, spirits and souls?

Often I hear students say they have trouble resting. And they often think it's a personal flaw or failure. Really this is often the nervous system maintaining the level and the type of work it is used to.

When the body has been in a state of stress or busyness for a long time, stillness can feel unfamiliar.

Even unsafe. So instead of softening, we stay activated.

Not because we want to, but because it’s what the body has come to accept this way of being as normal. Change can be unfamiliar and difficult. This is why, when you first begin to slow down - through yoga, pranayama, meditation, or simply pausing - you may notice:

• restlessness

• a chatty mind

• discomfort in stillness

• or even emotion rising

These are not signs that you’re doing it wrong. They are signs that something is beginning to shift.

Discomfort isn't always something to avoid. Sometimes growth can be uncomfortable.

Mindfulness helps us acknowledge the discomfort, and even sit in it while the mind comes up with words to describe those feelings. You may notice your mind thinking things like:

'I am having trouble sitting with this'

'I feel like moving away'

'When sit inside I/my mind want/s to be outside.'

'When I sit outside my mind tells me I should... be doing the dishes / putting the rubbish out / doing something productive / something else.'

This too is normal.

All of this thinking, offers us the opportunity to practice kindness and compassion.

"It is understandable my mind is busy because... " and then notice what you have learned to value. It may be because:

"I like to help others" - You may have learned you are valued or worthy when you help others.

"I like to be productive" - You may have learned you are worthy of love when you are "doing".

These thoughts, beliefs and values are understandable and worthy of compassion. And perhaps worthy of questioning through journaling, conversations with friends or therapy to unpack a little. Because sometimes our values give us an inner strength, and sometimes they can be the bars of our own prisons. Unpacking a life time of social conditioning takes time.

And the 'blame' for our social prison bars cannot lie with our parents or teachers.

Because they too were raised with layer upon layer of social conditioning that they may never have felt the desire to unpack.

So slowing down is not something we can force.

It’s something we practice, allow and surrender to.

Gently. Gradually. With kindness.

Through breath… through movement… through awareness…

Sometimes with the ebb and flow of allowing your personal practice to have shorter sessions and using more active practices such as breath or yoga, rather than just trying to sit in the discomfort. Can help bring about a gentle softening without a struggle against your own mind.

In this way, over time, the body begins to learn that it is safe to soften.

Safe to let go.

Safe to surrender into the present moment.

If you are interested in exploring your own practice of relaxation, you may like to begin with:

• a few conscious breaths

• a mindful moment to feel your morning cuppa

• stepping outside and noticing the air, the sky, the ground beneath you

• feeling the water move over you in the shower

These small moments begin to rewire how you experience your day. Allowing small moments of returning to the present moment to become a natural habit, sprinkled through your usual daily routines can be kinder and more achievable than pushing to create a daily 1 hour long practice. Meet yourself where you are is important. Too often I hear people sharing how their meditation or yoga practice became one more thing they 'failed at'. One more thing to they beat themselves up about not doing. While this thinking is understandable to those who were brought up in an authoritarian society. (Do as I say. Ask no questions) The reality is that everyone starts from a different place, with different time schedules, pressures and motivations. And sprinkling small practices through out the day can be just as beneficial. Then, when things change, so to the practice can change and grow with you.

This is the foundation of the work I share. Through yoga, meditation, and mindfulness practices, we can create space to slow down in a way that feels safe and supportive.

Not forcing stillness, but allowing it to unfold.

Here are some ways to increase the rest and digest nervous system:

Yoga - Practicing poses like: Legs up the wall, reclining butterfly - with breath, and certain belly poses. As well as pranayama practices.

Meditation - Listen to meditations that speak to your soul. Such as, visualisations, yoga nidra or body scans. (You can find these on our Podcast)

Mindfulness - Noticing the present moment such as the water in the shower, the cuppa in your hands, the sunlight on your skin. Or noticing your thoughts and feelings with kindness and acceptance.

Journalling - Giving yourself space to express freely, without judgement or criticism. This may be through expressive writing, answering questions, drawing or talking to your higher-self. This may also include a mix of writing out weekly affirmations then mindfully noticing how your thoughts, words and actions do or don't align with it.

If you are interested in exploring more and these words resonate with you, we would love to connect with you through or newsletter, upcoming courses, workshops or programs.

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Calming mindfulness, breathwork, yoga and meditation practices. Online & in Shepparton