“Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.” 

Lao Tzu

 

 

Go slow to go fast.

Slow and steady wins the race.

 

We’ve heard these adages time and again. Yet, when we live in a fast-paced, modern society, where everyone is bustling away to accomplish their tasks and pin their goals; these thoughts are put away in the back burner. 

Having said that,

Do you remember the beach holiday where you sat doing nothing, just watching the waves crash in and out?

How did your breath feel? Slow and steady, right.

How was your mood? Relaxed and calm.

What thoughts did you have? Serene and in the moment ones.

That’s what slowing down does to us. Dopamine or the feel good hormones in our body start rejoicing. We feel far more rested, at ease, and in the moment.

Therefore, if we wish to experience an equilibrium in life, going slow is a must have mantra.

 

“Go slow to experience the flow.” 

 

When the busyness and overwhelm gets to you;

Don’t do a thing. Just sit and observe the world go by.

Stare at a tree, a plant, or a patch of green. 

Stop to smell the flowers,

Walk bare feet and feel the soft grass, brush the soles of your feet. 

Mediate.

Watch your breath – flow in and out. 

Sip your mint tea. Experience the swirling flavours on your tongue.

Read a paragraph from a book.

Listen to your favourite song.

Catch 40 winks. 

Watch the world go by. 

Start feeling aligned with your inner Goddess

Slowing down is like blowing away the stress from your being. 

 

No, the world will not stop functioning, if you take a few moments away for yourself.

All it takes are few minutes like these through the course of your day – to rest, rejuvenate and reclaim your being.

 

 

 

Niksen

The Dutch call the art of purposely doing nothing and day dreaming, Niksen.

Someone shared this with me:

First, there was ‘Hygge’ the Danish concept that made staying in and getting cozy. Then there was ‘Lagom,’ the Swedish mindset of approaching life with an “everything in moderation” mindset. Now there’s another Northern European trend that’s being embraced as a way to combat our increasingly busy and often stressful lives: Niksen.

The Dutch concept is as simple as, well, doing nothing.

Sounds simple, right? Well, as author Olga Mecking writes in her new book, “Niksen: Embracing the Dutch Art of Doing Nothing,” it’s something with which many adults struggle amid pressures to maximize all of our waking hours.

One aspect of the ‘art of living’ is to find out what ways of relaxing fit you best.” There’s not necessarily a one-size-fits-all approach; rather, you’ll discover which behaviours are most effective for you through trial and error.

The practice of doing nothing helps to slow down your body, your breath, improving your mental focus and regulating your emotions.

To practise Niksen, do small nothings at first. Focus on 5-10 minutes at a time, and start your practice sessions in a safe place — at home, not at work or in a busy public place. You may also not be ready to do nothing in the middle of nature, so do it in your bedroom or living room.

You might be surprised to find that there are actual benefits of doing absolutely nothing. When you turn off all distractions, it allows space for your subconscious to expand, ultimately boosting your creativity. When distracted, our mind jumps to the most obvious answers when trying to solve problems.

Research is strong when it comes to the benefits of slowing down, from emotional perks — like reducing anxiety — to physical advantages — like curtailing the ageing process and strengthening the body’s ability to fight off a common cold. These potential health effects might be enough to encourage even the most hectic and overburdened among us to consider carving out time to practice Niksen.

Another benefit of Niksen is that it can help people come up with new ideas. When the ‘Niks,’ do nothing, “the brain is still processing information and can use the available processing power to solve pending problems, which in turn can boost one’s creativity. This could manifest in having a breakthrough solution to a problem on a walk or a great business idea reveal itself while daydreaming.

Niksen is known differently across the world. A visit to Italy will soon have you embracing the concept of ‘dolce far niente’ or ‘sweetness of doing nothing.’ It does not mean being lazy; instead, it’s the idea of finding pleasure in idleness or relaxation.

In China,  ‘Wu wei’ is – non-doing or ‘doing nothing’.  This is the paradox of ‘wu wei.’ It doesn’t mean not acting, it means ‘effortless action’ or ‘actionless action’

But unlike mindfulness, Niksen is not about staying in the moment and being conscious of your surroundings; it’s about letting yourself do nothing, about letting your mind go where it will without guilt or expectation.

Make Slow or Niksen your new mantra, and watch how much you will manage to get accomplished through the day.

Nature does too without hurrying, so will you. After all you are nature’s child!