COVID-19 has forced us to slow down. What conscious principles advocate has become a reality due to COVID. We empathise with the millions in some countries that were stranded or not supported by the government. However we also see the back handed benefits that arose for the environment and those who could embrace a different pace.
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SLOW DOWN TO STABILISE, SYNTHESISE AND SYNCHRONISE
SLOW FOOD: Drink Your Food And Chew Your Water
There was the slow food movement, which arose to create awareness about healthy food, as fast food meant unhealthy eating habits. Slow food also meant what was good for the farmers, workers, the environment and those who eat it.
The yogic idea of slow food takes it a bit further. There is thought put into what we eat, how we eat, when we eat, how much we eat, food combinations, the vibrations that go into food and how the food is procured and grown.
Eating slowly, and chewing the food enough that it is close to liquid, is when we fully absorb the nutrients in the food. The digestive enzymes in the saliva are able to act on the food effectively. Saliva has an enzyme called amylase that is important for breaking down starch, or complex carbohydrates, so the body can absorb it more easily. Close to 30% of the digestion takes place here. It also has protease that helps with breaking down proteins. Saliva also contains an enzyme called lingual lipase, which breaks down fats. This salivary lipase plays an important part in digestion for infants as their pancreases are not producing lipase to the full extent. It also has lysozyme which prevents the overgrowth of oral bacteria.
So we see the practical impact chewing makes to digestion. There is also the pranic, or energetic, impact...
As we drink liquids and water - slowly - we are allowing the pranic receptors in the mouth to absorb prana, chi or life force from the water.
LESS IS MORE WHEN WE SLOW DOWN
When we slow down, savour food and eat it consciously we will find we need much less than when we unconsciously binge eat, comfort eat or eat in a rush. These times have created space for what really matters by reconnecting to all that we put inside of us as well as what goes out of us. What goes out is not just our faeces and urine but thoughts and words that are generated. We also find we do not need as much distracting activity that takes us away from ourselves.
SLOWING DOWN HEALS THE EARTH, WATER BODIES, AIR & NATURE
All our sources of nourishment and the elements are getting a chance to regenerate during these times. How can water nourish us when it is polluted and depleted of prana. Living in some major cities, like Delhi, is like smoking over 10 cigarettes due to the poor air quality. Beijing is also known for its poor air quality. The impact of the virus imposed lock down in China can be seen from space. There has been a wonderful increase in air quality!
When the elements, animals and plants regenerate, wisdom becomes more easily accessible to us. We also get breathing space if we do not crowd ourselves and other life on the planet through our unwanted speed and excess. Animals have been seen roaming empty streets and getting some more space as humans are confined to their homes. When we have reverence for the elements outside of us, the elements within us are purified as well.
THE WISDOM THAT IS REVEALED BY SLOWING DOWN
Apart from the science behind why we need to slow down, the foundational practices of tantra are to slow things down to savour the senses. To stop and smell the roses, so to speak. This allows for beauty and wisdom to be transmitted. We become conduits of this universal mystery, that unfolds in day to day life, with grace. We become more solution oriented as we tap into this innate wisdom. Our unconscious minds are not on overdrive and we can relax into a meditative pace. We can experience the glory and graciousness of the universe in our being.
SLOW DOWN TO STABILISE & REALIGN
If the four wheels of a car are not aligned then it is not good to pick up speed, as it will wear on the tires and, in the long term, is dangerous. This is for a mechanical device with a certain baseline of stability, as it is on four wheels. Yet we take care to go and get it checked up. We humans are much more complex and we are on two feet instead of four. Yet we take little care and spend little time to understand and learn what tools can be used to align the system. However, we see that, even without alignment in order, we hanker for speed.
This is what is seen in the modern world where speed is glorified over stability. Align the different fields: the body, emotions and mind with the cosmos for better stability and less wear and tear. Align and integrate the chakras giving as much importance to grounding as to flying away into wonderland through the crown. Go for a test drive and come back and realign again. Then go for long drives and your drive will be smooth.
There are minor to major signs of misalignment. They can start with headaches, feeling anxious, overwhelmed and restless. There can be an underlying sense of doom, unresolved disappointments, low self esteem or not feeling enough. One can become a bully, lacking empathy or being vicious and attacking others or themself.
The Arkaya practices help realign the vertebral column. A misaligned vertebral column can cause many issues like back pain, respiratory problems, joint stiffness, sciatica, illness, fatigue and hip pain. So imagine if there is misalignment between the body, heart and head as well as the collective. The Arkaya practices also support realigning these subtler aspects of ourselves.
SLOW DOWN TO SYNTHESISE
To synthesise means to combine or put together. Photosynthesis is the process where plants use light, putting together chemical compounds and carbon dioxide to build or synthesise food. Like plants, we have the capacity to build things that seem much greater than their individual, simpler components. These are life giving and nurturing and feed not just our bodies, but our energy, mind and soul.
A synthesiser is one who is able to synthesise. With the advent of electronic music it is used more in the context of an instrument where samples of many other instruments can be stored and reproduced. This capacity to combine many different things and frequencies to create harmony within is a quality needed for yogic living.
SLOW DOWN TO SYNCHRONISE
For any important mission which is time bound, it is important to synchronise the watches of all those involved. This means they operate at the same rate. When the visual and audio match also they are said to be in sync. This coherence or match with our personal and universal fields enables many synchronicities where our thoughts manifest into reality. That is why it is important to slow down and be aware of the quality of our thoughts.
As we evolve and unfold we see that consciously slowing down enables us to speed up our evolution and manifest a more harmonious reality.