The Slow Movement

I am one of those people who I used to make fun of. I don't know how it has happened, but my life has become so jam-packed with junk that I'm constantly feeling rushed and like I don't have enough time to do anything … paticularly the things that I want to do. I wouldn't say I'm unhappy. I think I am, by nature, a very happy person. But I have been let's say … discontented. Whenever I actually have the time to do what it is I want to do, I frequently lack the energy or motivation. I don't like that.

While I was in the Bahamas, I read an article about the benefits of slowing down and taking more time to do everything but really making the time you take count. It spoke of meditation as a way to calm, soothe, and re-examine why you're doing what you're doing. Meditation appeals to me a lot anyhow. I kind of think it might help to counter-act my impetuous impatient nature. Plus (and here's the rushed, trying to squeeze tons into a day Jess talking), once you are capable of meditating, it can replace sleep at a 2:1 ratio (or so I've read). Whatever the case, I don't think it can be bad for me. So I got on our library's website and requested the beginning meditation video. I won't go too much into it, since there are some very nice and accurate accounts of the video on Amazon, but I find it to be a very good place to start. The article also mentioned a book called In Praise of Slowness. I ordrered it from our library too and I should pick it up by Fri. The author challenges the “cult of speed” and offers insight into slowing down.

This movement is catching on. Here are some more links on meditation and the cult of slow:
* Meg Cabot (author of the Princess Diaries) muses about The Slow Movement (it's the July 6 entry)
* article on slow movement from Chicago Sun-Times
* SlowMovement.com
* Slow Food Movement
* another article on the slow movement
* Gaiam, makers of Meditation DVDs
* Learning Meditation, with good info and sound files