Slowing Down to Move Quickly
We began our discussion of flow by establishing the practice of calm abiding (Shamatha) to settle into the present, so that we can let go into a natural organic flow in our practice and life. Last post we used an analogy of the flowing water to depict the movement of mind, from a raging waterfall to a slow rolling river. With practice, we might reach a calm described as a placid lake that represents the stillness inherent in movement of our mind. Developing awareness in meditation practice creates a template for awareness in our life. We use tools to help instruct the mind to find its flow, in order to relax into that flow of life.
This post will introduce the idea of slowing down in order to establish or reestablish a flow that allows us to move more efficiently. Here we will use the analogy of the cat, relaxing in repose, so that it has the energy and calm to spring into action. We are talking about how to maintain synchronicity so that our flow is strong and even. This requires an aware meditation of our energy. If we move too quickly for our present circumstances, we lose connection to synchronicity. Such as when we’re moving so quickly, we fail to see where we are going. In the Tibetan Buddhist tradition it is said that speeding through life is an essential disregard for our humanity. Our personal dignity becomes subsumed by anxiety as we scurry like a hamster. The goal becomes more important than the journey. But, it is said, the journey is the goal. How we approach life is as important as anything else in life. Meditating our speed allows us to move with grace and dignity. It also allows us to move more efficiently. Sometimes we need to slow down in order to get things done. On the other hand, sometimes we need to encourage ourselves to move more quickly in order to maintain our energy. Sometimes we need encouragement to move at all.
This becomes easier if we understand that “we” don’t have to do anything at all but simply join the flow. Our breath, our life, our beating heart are all in process. So, coming back to the body we can settle into now, and then step into the natural movement of life. If we jump out of bed lunging forward, we lose the mindfulness on which synchronicity is based. And synchronicity is our entrance into the flow. When we act in panic, we are not in flow. But the flow is always there. We just need to slow down a bit and reconnect to it. On the other hand, when we are dragging behind out of fear, or because our heart is not in it, we are blocking the flow and we might need a kick start. But, that kick start requires mindfulness. In order to move forward we might need to calm our expectations and our judgement in order to be present. Maintaining our connection to flow requires a balance of mindfulness and movement. In the Zen tradition, they say “Not too tight. Not too loose.”
Sometimes in my self-training, when I find myself speeding up out of anxiety or impatience, I make myself pause. It’s an odd experience because my deep mind is pushing me to move quickly, and I’ve trained myself to stop and pause. Sometimes this is because I’m actually exhausted and my reaction to that is to push through. This lack of self-respect, blocks our flow. I might counter this by actually sitting down until the moment shifts, reestablishing my dignity.
I worked with a Shaman named Whitewind Weaver in Washington. She would tell me, slow down enough to move quickly. She had gardeners construct a lovely and very organic labyrinth on her grounds. She would have me walk the labyrinth whenever I was getting speedy and stressed. I always hated that at first, but it always calmed me and recalibrated my approach. I hated it because I was addicted to my speed. Speed gives me a sense of self-importance which would lead to outright narcissism. “Get out of my way!” “I’m in a hurry so I’m important”. One time I was rushing up Broadway in Manhattan late for a meditation talk I was giving. The irony of rushing to meditation was not lost on me. And Manhattan offers a specific kind of torture, as cabs are often slower in traffic and, in this case, the subways was no faster, so I began doing a mantra, and remembered the points of flow, not too fast, head off all blockages. I started a mantra to keep my mind calm as I navigated the streets as quickly as I could. I am good at this because I remember I need to keep my mind balanced for the session. What I am not good at is when the end is in sight and I lose my awareness in a scramble to get there. I got to the elevator and immediately hit the button and closed the doors on a woman and her coffee. I yelled “sorry” as the elevator ascended without her. I got to the floor of the center, checked in and went to the bathroom to resynchronize. I was just a few minutes late and the coordinator assured me that the last members of the class had just arrived. I walked into the room, sat down, and breathed out. In front of me was sitting a woman with a coffee stained dress.
I immediately told the story to the class which served as a humorous illustration to the class and an apology to her. The mistake I made was sacrificing my awareness for speed. But my self-effacing admission allowed me to resynchronize and reset my purpose. Establishing our view is essential to allowing flow. If we don’t know where we are going, our inner energy will be in discordance with our movement. Where are we going? I recommend we have a view rather than a goal. A goal is something we narrow down upon. Fixating on the goal is not a way to honor ourselves or our journey, which is a good way to frustrate our flow. A view, on the other hand, is something we open toward. It is a vision that leads us in a forward direction, but does not imply we must achieve anything. All we need to do is step into the flow in that direction. And when the time comes to change directions, we can do that effortlessly, flowing from one stream to the next. Slow enough to maintain mindfulness and quick enough to maintain energy.
In order to maintain flow, it is not necessary to push. It’s best to employ as little effort as possible, just enough to keep flowing on course. The images used classically are the tiger, and the elephant. Tigers are relaxed and connected to the earth, but ready to move without hesitation. Tigers don’t lurch out of panic and they don’t waste energy with nervous movement. They rest until they don’t. The elephant doesn’t speed or dawdle. The elephant moves carefully, but covers great distances. The elephant has enough height to see clearly around them while walking with dignity and purpose.