“If you want to conquer the anxiety of life, live in the moment, live in the breath.”  ~Amit Ray

Dear Universe,

In the last few years I have realized something about myself.

I have discovered I run on two speeds.

One can be described as go, go, go.  The other as slow, slow, slow.

There is no in between.  And for the most part, this works.

Go, go, go gets me through the school year running from city to city, place to place, class to class.  When I am not on the physical go, I am on the mental go—planning, creating, grading, reading, thinking, emailing.

It’s a constant stream of to-dos, looming lists and notes-to-self.  It’s exhausting.

The slow, slow, slow turns on about a week or two after vacation hits.  It’s usually an adjustment from the going, but eventually I manage to the slow the pace.

That’s also when I try to catch up on all the things I didn’t get to during go, go, go mode.

I was thinking of this last night as I am in the middle of an especially hectic go period.  I don’t mind.  I like working hard, being challenged, keeping busy.  I think I actually work best under pressure.

But.

But here it is again.  My wish and struggle to find balance in the midst of it all.  I want to be able to go, go, go while still making some time to let my mind and soul grow, grow, grow.

I’ll stop rhyming now.  Promise… Maybe!

I want to be able to meditate, get to the gym, practice yoga, cook, write, see my family and friends, relax, leisurely read, laugh more…

Universe, is that too much to ask?

Some days I manage to get that balance and it’s amazing.

Other days, I fall short, but I always make a point to stop now and then, stretch and take a few deep breaths.  What a world of difference those breaths can make.

 “Sometimes the most important thing in a whole day is the rest we take between two deep breaths.” ~Etty Hillesum

I saw this quote yesterday in the midst of a million things happening at once.  I’ve always liked this quote and it seemed like a good reminder about how important it is to make the time to just stop now and then and to listen to what my intuition is telling me.

I feel like it’s a reminder that many of us need to hear.

So, stop and take a break, take a nap, take five.  Chances are, the world won’t stop if you do.  And if all you can do is stop and breathe, then just do that.

I promise it will help release some stress, relieve some anxiety and reboot your body…until the next time you can take a break.

So.  What are you waiting for?  Breathe in 1, 2, 3, 4, 5… Hold for 1, 2, 3, 4, 5… Release 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.

See?  Don’t you feel better?  Like a mini-mental vacation!  And your world didn’t stop, right?

I dare you to do it again. 🙂

“Just breathing can be such a luxury sometimes.” ~Walter Kirn

Thanks for the reminder that no matter how many things I have to juggle, the one thing I should never sacrifice is my own peace of mind and the sanctity of my soul.

Those are things I’m not willing to lose after I fought so hard to perserve them.

With Gratitude,

A