Taking it slow...

I notice that when I am away I take everything slow.  I stop and smell the flowers (literally).  I often pull out  my camera, which I always carry, and I take pictures of interesting things.   I take my time to prepare food and to enjoy conversations.  Even a glass of wine, takes a little longer.  I think I'd like to try to take it slow more often.  The question is how?

I loved that when I was at the cottage and visiting an old friend, I took time to prepare food.  I made beautiful fruit salads in the morning.  Granola and yogurt a drizzle of honey.  Nothing complicated just comfort in a cup.  I like to prepare this at home served in my grandmother's old tea cups.  The one's she used when we came for Sunday dinners.  The breakfasts at the cottage being the full gammet of what these meals are supposed to be.  Bacon (veggie for me), eggs over easy, toast, home fries and maybe something left over from last nights dinner. 

We take time for ourselves.  One of my favorite things is to find a quiet moment and sneak off for a yoga practice or a paddle in my kayak.  The peace that is offered in each stroke of my paddle.  Being close to nature.  One day I even floated past a blue heron.  I was maybe 10 feet away and was in awe of the size of this prehistoric looking bird.  Quiet moments on the dock, in love with the scene around me in various yoga postures, or just sitting.

These are the things I look forward to on vacation.  These are the things I love.

How can I take these moments of peace, of enjoyment and bring them to the real world.  The hustle and bustle of our life.  Three children, a day care, one child still at home, two part time jobs and maintaining relationships...  how can I take time to slow down.  I would love to say that I will take time preparing all my meals.  That I will not rush through my yoga practice but I can't guarantee it.  I can say that I will try.  If we truly learn from what we live, then I must remember how good it feels and how good I feel when I take my time. 

There must be a yoga teaching in there somewhere?  Maybe it's an investigation into swadyaya?  Or perhaps I've reached a bit of santosha (contentment), and maybe there's even a little bit of saucha (purity) in my moments, and tapas (enthusiasm) if I keep doing it.  The niyamas, the observances...  For now I am happy here and maybe it can become more a part of my practice to do just that, and observe.

Namaste,
Jenni