Finding Your Rhythm

A teacher once told me that one of the most powerful things we can do is to assert our pace in the world. This means we can set the rhythm for how fast or slow our lives move, rather than matching the speed of the world around us. For some of us, there is pressure to keep up, to prove ourselves, or to move faster than our nervous system can sustain. For others, we're trying to slow down without feeling guilty, undeserving of rest, or afraid of being left behind. This practice is an opportunity to find your rhythm and sustain a pace in the world that feels right for you. We'll take some time identifying the different stories you've been holding, practice with affirmations, and use the breath as a guide to help us connect to a rhythm that feels right for us. So take a moment to find a position for the body that feels most comfortable. You might be seated upright or lying down. Then, when you're ready, gently closing the eyes. And we'll begin with a full body breath. So as you breathe in, imagine the breath drawing up from the soles of the feet through the legs, into the belly, the chest, and the neck. And as you breathe out, releasing the breath slowly through the mouth, emptying the body of air. So breathing in. And breathing out. Letting go, letting go, letting go. And then just resting here for a moment, noticing how it feels to pause. And then gently beginning to recall the stories that you've been carrying about your pace, your timing in life. Listening to whatever arises with kindness as if you're listening to a friend. You might softly ask yourself, "Who taught me that I need to go fast? Who made me believe I was going too slow? And what pressures, internal or external, might I still be holding in my body today?" There's no need to answer these questions clearly. Just simply noticing what comes up: a thought, a memory, a feeling, or maybe just a sensation in the body. Whatever you notice is welcome. Now, letting those stories go. And we'll try offering a few phrases of kindness and compassion towards ourself. So repeating after me. May I be kind to the part of myself that has always had to hurry. May I learn to let go of the belief that my worth depends on my speed. May I learn to be at ease with how my life is unfolding. And just continuing to breathe, noticing how the body responds. And again, may I be kind to the part of me that has always had to hurry. May I learn to let go of the belief that my worth depends on my speed. And may I learn to be at ease with how my life is unfolding. Now, guiding your attention back to the rising and falling of the breath, noticing its natural rhythm without changing it, and...