The Search for Absolute Slow
[This is a guest post from Lynnette Rogers (a.k.a. the missus)]
I love the contrarian spirit of the slow movement. It runs so against the predominant grain of our culture. I think truly committed slow practitioners quickly see the benefits of slowing down – less stress, more enjoyment of life, better gas mileage. But I suggest that slow food, long baths, arriving early – these are aperitifs. True contrarians don’t stop there. They understand this is only the beginning, the peel, as it were, of the luscious fruit of absolute slow.
There is a hidden world of slow available only to the deeply committed. (By that I don’t mean institutionalized.) If you’re willing to risk more ridicule from your speedy friends and family, I suggest trying meditation. A warning: this should only be attempted by advanced practitioners. The most excellent benefits don’t begin to show up until after at least ten years of slow practice, if you’re lucky.
If you’ve spend any time watching the workings of your own mind, you’ve noticed the wild and fragmentary nature of thought. Add to this the shifting clouds of emotion you experience. Pile on the non-stop change in all your physical processes. In the face of this frenzied activity, it’s hard to make a case for a solid “you” in there. This, I suggest (and I’m not the first to do so), may be a primary cause of human suffering and discontent. It’s either this, or too much coffee.
Here’s where slow skills have much to offer. By sitting quietly, kicking into slow drive and just observing, we can discover some very cool stuff. There’s been much discussion over the years about what this might be, but with permission of the IINDM, I call it Absolute Slow. It’s possible to actually get relief for a little while from the tyranny of being oneself.
I’d be interested to know if anyone else has experienced your own version of Absolute Slow …