what’s the rush?

of all the things
i could’ve been,

i am so glad
to be this

thank god
i didn’t actually become
who i pretended to be

back when
i had no idea
who i was

Rudy Francisco

If your week has been anything like mine, you might have experienced moments of merciless setbacks that make you feel as though you’re hacking through a dense field of weeds with a dull machete, swimming upstream against an angry current, or just wishing you didn’t feel the need to rush to get anything accomplished.

We are all most likely familiar with that heart-pounding moment of panic as we curse our commitment to the clock and calendar, praying to all things sacred that we “make it on time.”

Whether it’s sweeping through our inbox, sprinting to catch a train, tripping over ourselves to make it on time to a meeting, slamming through a project to meet a deadline, or powering through a meal to get on to our next task of the day – when has speeding through something ever really improved our wellbeing, or enhanced the situation itself?

There is absolutely a time and place for rushing for safety’s sake, but when it becomes habitual from the second we wake up until we hit our pillows at night, our immune and nervous systems eventually re-wire to consider these fight-or-flight conundrums the norm.

When our bodies are in flight-or-flight mode, it protects us in drastic situations when we are literally fighting for our lives: it’s like pressing pause on digestion [fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][who has time to eat when there’s a bear chasing you?] and pressing fast-forward on the heart rate [pump yourself up to RUN]. Imperative in life-or-death situations, not so great for communicating and living on a daily basis.

The Yoga Sutras advises to practice yoga for a long time, without break, in all earnestness. When we are inhaling a meal, are we earnestly giving the food and our bodies the attention they deserve? When we race through a conversation or meeting interrupted by glances over at our device’s email notifications, are we completely focused on the task at hand?

Every moment deserves our attention. Even if we are pushing to finish something, or moving quickly after a much-needed meditation before running to get to wherever we need to be, we can still give our sympathetic nervous system a break simply by being aware of things like our breath, or of how we feel in that moment.

When we practice mindfulness in everything we do, what we do becomes more clear.

Our lives become less hazy, like the view from a speeding train, and more steady. Our attention rests, as often as possible, in the moment itself instead of the ones that have passed, or the ones we’re painting pictures of in our brain.

As I anxiously checked my phone while waiting for a train that failed me last Sunday, I realized I would definitely be late to teach. As I teeter-tottered on the edge of losing my mind, I tried to watch my breath and envision myself, if anything, jogging from the closest stop on another train. Although it pained me to be late in the first place, I silently repeated to myself “I am going to make it.”

A sweet girl on the train noticed the familiar look of public-transportation-related despair on my face and asked me where I was going. When I said I was disappointed that my students had to wait for me to begin, she smiled and replied, “It’s yoga, they’ll understand.” She was like a fairy sent to calm my nerves. Even though I did in fact have to rush, at least I did so with a little less stress [a little goes a long way].

The same goes for speeding through anything – careers, relationship, spiritual or physical practices – what is the rush? Who are we racing, and what is the worst that can happen if we move a bit slower?

If I were to give myself a piece of advice when I first started teaching and coaching, it would be to remember that rushing to to top or racing to reach a goal does not define success. When we are able to sit with our experiences, whether fantastic or excruciating, we are exercising the mindfulness muscle that will ultimately help us train mind, body and spirit to go with the flow as much as humanly possible.

Does choosing to take our time, or at least deciding not to let the act of rushing turn into stressing out, mean we will never have to rush? Certainly not if you live in New York City. It can however, at the very least, set a tone for our day, our minds, and our lives that leans more toward mindfulness than madness.

Realistically, what good does it do to always feel the need to push through the moment in order to get to another moment to push through, and so on and so forth?

If we continue on like this, we risk the chance of life passing us by, all for the sake of rushing to get to the next thing.

When we choose to practice holding our attention for as long as possible, without break, and with integrity, the sustainability of mind, body and planet will reap the benefits. We might pause and take five breaths before shoveling food into our mouths, or learn to watch our breath as we’re anxiously awaiting news from a loved one.

The simple act of pausing, considering, and simply being aware is profound on so many levels, especially when it comes to caring for these three integral components that help sustain our overall wellbeing.

Here are personal tips I use myself, even in a rush, to move as mindfully as possible throughout the day in order to nourish mind, body and planet:

Mind

• Take anywhere from 1 second to several minutes to notice your breath. How does it feel, how does it make you feel? Where are you over-efforting, and where can you ease up?
• Return back to how you desire to feel when you do find yourself rushing. As humans in this world it is inevitable we will find ourselves moving at a pace quicker than we might have intended or feel comfortable with, but that doesn’t mean we can’t continue to reconnect with how we ultimately want to feel from deep within our big ol’ hearts.

Body

• Whatever/whenever/wherever you’re eating – CHEW. Often when we take time in this important pre-digestion phase, we’ll be more conscious of what we’re actually eating. It could mean enjoying a meal with more awareness, and it might even lead to finding ways to add more whole foods into your diet – this results in maintaining the health of both the precious body and planet.
• Notice what you’re doing whether you’re taking a stroll, speed-walking to the bus, typing, conversing or chewing as if you’re watching yourself from the outside. Observe each action and how it feels in your body, especially when you’re listening [who likes to talk to a rushed listener?]. If you’re running down the street to be on time like yours truly last Sunday, how can you make it a mindful experience?

Planet

• Take a moment to inquire from within and without in terms of where you are spending your money/offering your energy whether you’re shopping for material goods or food. Ask yourself how the product will serve you; get more information on where it’s from or how it’s made. It might take a bit more time, but when we take care to notice our decisions instead of rushing through them, we might find ourselves consuming and acting from a more conscious place.
• Prep small, healthy, eco tasks the night before like putting a reusable mug or water bottle on the counter with your favorite tea at the ready, and steaming extra veggies to have for at least one meal the following day. It will not only create a little more ease if you have to rush, but it will avoid typical “grab-and-go” habits that often result in creating unnecessary and harmful waste.

How do you operate from a more mindful place when you find yourself in a perpetual rush?

Read the full newsletter for an easy solution to any rushed meal, real good music, yoga happenings and more.

*Photo by Renee Choi doing Breakti at the Bedford Ave Subway station, where I often find myself skipping steps to catch my train [it felt GREAT to be there for playful purposes only].[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]