We are eager to hear about how your experiment is going in slowing down and becoming more aware of conditioned behavior. Were you able to recall it at the time you wanted to? Was there a change in the situation, or interaction? If you haven’t yet chosen an experiment, it’s not too late! Remember to keep it small. Click here to read all about it. We’d love to hear your reflections or observations.
To inspire us to continue deepening our appreciation of Slowing Down, we’re offering a short clip (three minutes) from Easwaran called “Slowing Down Our Thoughts.” Let’s try watching him with as much One-Pointed Attention as possible. Please feel free to share your reflections on Easwaran’s tips.
In a year when many friends have been asking the BMCM for guidance, the BMCM is sharing Easwaran’s message of hope through this special edition of the Blue Mountain Journal. You’ll find inspiration and practical advice in two articles from Easwaran, two short pieces that Christine Easwaran wrote after 9/11, and a new, previously unpublished passage for meditation.
Here on the eSatsang, we will be studying articles in this journal together throughout January 2019. We’re sharing today however, so that you could have this resource at hand right away.
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When we’re more slowed down and one-pointed during the day, we’re more likely to be aware of our conditioned habits. This awareness provides us with opportunities to begin reversing or reengineering our conditioned patterns. We invite you to try a tiny experiment this month. Please make it very small! Ideally, it will fit into something you are already doing.
Please let us know what experiment you’d like to try and if you have ideas of other small ways we can give the gifts of time and attention throughout our days and busy lives!
To inspire us for the week ahead, enjoy this reading below by Easwaran from the book Passage Meditation.
This month, we’ll focus on giving the gifts of time and attention through the subtle points of Slowing Down and One-Pointed Attention. Slowing Down dovetails nicely into our spiritual reading topic from last month, because part of slowing down is prioritizing how we spend our time effectively.
As this holiday period begins around the world, we consider gifts to our families, friends, co-workers, and acquaintances. This month, we’ll also consider the generosity that comes from the gift of our time and attention. It’s a gift we can give every day, in any season. During the month, we’ll sharpen our focus on how we can give gifts of time and attention more of the time.
Is there something you have done in your life to help you slow down effectively? How has that helped you and those around you? We’d love to hear your strategies and tips!
This week, we will explore how slowing down the mind can provide a critical inroad to building the will. Slowing down can be challenging, but we have many opportunities throughout the day to keep trying. Remember that slowing down isn’t only about pacing, but also about setting priorities.
During retreats we often work together in small groups to reflect on an Easwaran reading or video talk and to brainstorm practical suggestions to try. Regarding the current topic of Slowing Down, what are some successes you have had? How has Slowing Down helped you to build your will?
Do you have a specific challenge that you’d like tips with? Review the reading below for ideas, or ask your eSatsang friends!
This has been a rich period to explore Slowing Down, as we approach the end of the month and year! Please continue sharing your Slowing Down experiments and experiences with us during the week ahead. Your stories and questions are inspiring to others who may be having similar challenges, and similar successes. To help us understand the loftiest purpose of our efforts in Slowing Down, please enjoy this five-minute video from Easwaran below. In the video, Easwaran makes a connection between cultivating patience and deepening our devotion. We look forward to hearing your reflections and would love to know about any tips you’ll be trying out this week.
A very happy holidays to you and your families, from the eSatsang Team!
This week, we are continuing to apply Slowing Down to our daily lives and are eager to hear how your Slowing Down experiment is going as you’ve had some time to try it out. Were you able to recall it at the time you wanted to? Was there a change in the situation, or interaction? Do you need an extra boost of support to help you slow down? Try joining us for a “virtual meditation” on a Saturday, through our private Facebook Group. Details for the meditation each week are posted in the group. If you don’t have an account, no problem!
Finally, we are sharing an excerpt from Easwaran on the importance of human relationships, which he says “are often the first casualties in a speeded-up way of life.” Are there any practical tips from the reading that you’d like to try for the rest of this month?
Thank you all for sharing your experiences with Slowing Down and for encouraging many of us during this busy time of year to prioritize the eight points. Slowing down is about slowing down our thinking process. We invite you to try a tiny slowing down experiment this month. Please make it very small! Ideally, it will fit into something you are already doing. For example, you might choose to:
Proactively remove one activity or chore from your calendar each week, at the start of that week.
Show up 5–10 minutes early to a weekly or monthly meeting, or an upcoming appointment.
Try consciously speaking more slowly to elders, or children.
Get up just 5–10 minutes earlier than normal, one morning per week.
Create your own slowing down experiment.
To inspire us for the week ahead, enjoy this short reading below by Easwaran from the book, Take your Time.
This month, we’ll focus on the subtle point of Slowing Down. When we’re more slowed down during the day, we’re more likely to be aware of our conditioned habits. It can include prioritizing effectively on those inevitable days when not everything can get finished or the unexpected emerges. If you haven’t yet seen the New Year’s Day Mantram Relay, please check out the Facebook Group, and help us collectively keep the mantram going for all 24 hours of January 1, 2018. Is there something you have done in your life to help you slow down effectively? Please share your tips with us.
