Thoughts from The Trail: Slowing Down

My family is all over 6’ tall. I am 5’3”.

When walking with my husband yesterday, I laughed when I noticed that he was walking much more leisurely than I. As I was keeping up with his pace, I realized that I was rushing. And as I reflect on that, I realize that this is the pace I keep even when I am not walking with my husband or boys. “Slow down!” I said. “I’m probably walking two steps for your every one step!”

And that is something that I am constantly reminding myself of when I am out walking on the trail. “Slow down!”

Over the past few years, I’ve adopted a pace of rushing from one thing to another, thinking that somehow I could get to the end of that never-ending “to-do” list. And those walks on the trail sometimes became another thing to check off.

But when I slow down, they become a time to rest, a time to engage my curious mind, and a time to take a deep breath and let my nervous system relax.

Slowing down on my walk a few days ago, I suddenly noticed the unique way this Queen Anne's lace was growing - almost like a snowball!

I’ve been trying this practice in other places too – walking from my car to the office, for example. Even though I am walking on a paved lot instead of a trail, there is the smell of the ocean, the call of seagulls, and trees and flowers swaying in the breeze.

I know I’ve been rushing lately, and when I do, I forget how much beauty there is around me, even amid life's challenges. I also know that I am missing out on a lot of life when I do. And so, I begin again, practicing slowing down, coming into the moment, and really noticing the beauty around me.

It doesn’t take long…a minute or two throughout the day can make a big difference in mental, emotional, and physical well-being, helping to reduce the adrenaline and cortisol levels that rushing can trigger in our bodies.

Where in life are you rushing? When was the last time you slowed down to literally “take time to smell the roses”?

I’m learning that slowing down doesn’t take me away from my life. It brings me back to it.

So, for now, I’ll keep practicing—one slower step, one deeper breath, one moment of noticing at a time.

~ Beth

Looking closely, I notice that this Queen Anne's lace looks like it is made up of hundreds of individual flowers.