We can learn vital lessons from the ancient wisdom of the Tao Te Ching.
The Tao says:
Why do many people rush about
Reactively losing their balance?
They give way to emotion,
Impatience, and haste,
Thereby losing their center.
(Tao chapter 26)
The Tao Te Ching was written by Lao-Tzu over 25 centuries ago in ancient China. Yet he knew, even then, how rushing can make us lose our emotional balance.
We now know that rushing and impatience put us into a stress state, which narrows our focus, makes us anxious, and shuts down our higher brain centers, making us less effective in whatever we do.
Our busy contemporary culture constantly assaults us with demands and interruptions, urging us to multitask, to cram more activities into our days. But frantically rushing from one thing to the next exhausts us, drains our energy, puts us into chronic stress which is unhealthy for our minds, our bodies, and our personal and collective health.
We can break this unhealthy habit of rushing by adding mindful pauses to our days—to return to the present moment, to regain our peace of mind by connecting with our inner wisdom.
Please join me now for a mindful pause, a brief moment of presence and meditation.
- First close your eyes or shift them into a gentle downward gaze.
- Then breathe in, focusing on your heart and slowly breathe out. You can put your hand on your heart if you wish.
- Again, slowly breathe in and breathe out.
- Breathing in, breathing out, feeling your shoulders relax, your mind become more peaceful.
- As you continue this slow heart-focused breathing, ask yourself these questions
"How do I feel?" Notice your feelings.
"What do I need?" Listen to your heart.
"What can I do about it now?" Listen for one small thing you can do now.
- And finally ask yourself, "What do I need to release?" Listen for the answer to simplify and center your life.
- When you're ready, gently open your eyes and return to the present moment, ready to take the next step.
Now whenever you find yourself rushing, you can take a mindful pause to listen to your heart, and return to center to live in greater harmony.
I wish you joy and peace on the path.