Slow Down to Speed Up | The Holidays

Winter sunset at Heartwood © Martha Wooding-Young, The Resilient Executive, LLC. 

The winter holidays are a classic time of disjunction for those of us in the western half of the northern hemisphere. The weather and our bodies are pulling us to slow down, to take rest, not to hibernate perhaps, but at least to restore ourselves after the year that’s nearly behind us. And yet we typically engage in rounds of social contact that can be more performative than they are fulfilling.  As you read this I am turning fully to restoration, on silent retreat for a week, as we get ready to welcome family including our new grandchild for Christmas. I spend my days meditating in scheduled sessions. In the breaks, when I’m not walking outside, I’ll be baking Christmas cookies with love and great attention, like Zen master Dogen’s Tenzo duties, seeing the sacred in each crystal of sugar. This week of silence will balance the joyful week of family to follow. When you step back, go quiet, take time for contemplation, the world slows down with you, and you can see more, hear more, make more connections. Want to talk about how to plan and structure your own sacred pause practice or retreat to infuse your subsequent progress with renewed insight and energy? Reach out.