Slowing Down
Slowing Down is important but painful sometimes
Slowing down
Our culture does not like the two words: Slowing Down.
It brings to mind aging, death, and obsolescence. I personally love going fast. I am a Type A who has a todo list and a big mission. Why would I slow down? Well after spending some time meditating on this question, I realized a few reasons to slow down. I will share what I’ve thought of and explain several ways to do so.
Let’s say I need to make 3 big decisions each day, 1 for work, one for my family and one for the larger world each day. How important is it to me to make those decisions? Slowing down allows us to make decisions easier.
For work I am thinking about how to better serve my students. Slowing down allows me to have insights, notice clues, connect two seemingly unrelated facts. For a concrete example, one of my students was too tired to do yoga. I advocate for daily yoga. I realized that he needed to supplement the physical asana with a Nidra practice for the days when he was too physically tired. I shared with him my favorite and he has been happy with this! If I hadn’t slowed down this realization would not have com to me.
What are some ways to slow down? Slowing down really is a way of saying that we are tapping into the parasympathetic nervous system vs the sympathetic nervous system.
Our bodies have two modes of operation.
Sympathetic: Fight, flight and freeze- this happens when our mind thinks there is something dangerous happening around us, whether there is or isn’t. When this system is activated we can run fast, see well and breath well. What we can’t do is make nuanced strategic decisions.
Parasympathetic: Rest and Digest- this happens when we feel safe and sound. It can be created by actions that we will look at next.
At the macro level
Your resting heart rate is an indicator of your cardiovascular health. Extreme athletes have resting heart rates in the 30s. You can slow your overall resting heart rate by doing regular vigorous cardio exercise such as hiking, walking, rowing, etc. This will help you calm down after a stressful event.
At the micro level
Let’s look specifically at the heart rate and the parasympathetic nervous system. The heart and the breath are tied together.
You can try it. If you open your mouth and pant you will raise your heart rate. If you breath slowly through the nose you will lower your heart rate.
Breathing exercises
Physiological sigh- two part breath in, long exhale through the mouth
Box breath: four count in, hold for four, out for four, hold out for four
4/6 breath: Four count in, out for 6
Each of these will slow down your heart rate and make you feel more relaxed.
Watch a video to learn these techniques.
Take-a-way
Take time to slow down each day and between stressful events. Always rest between weight sets and after a workout. Our bodies can’t stay in the sympathetic mode all the time without burning out and becoming very sick, but we also need to engage the sympathetic system via vigorous exercise. Try to hit your peak heart rate (200-age) once every two weeks.
