What is slow living for me?

Slow living is experiencing my life - day to day, moment to moment - in real time! I know this sounds obvious - for me, it has seldom been true. When I sit and reflect, I am not sure when I was able to experience my life unfolding, happening, showing up without the anxiety of the future and the burden of expectations. Of course, I have had tastes, even daily, when I am in practice or flow.

What I am talking about is "normal" life...for example: cooking food and being fully available to the touch and smell of the ingredients, the process of cutting, stirring and finally waiting for the cooking to happen. In July this year, I chose to move away from my coaching practice and put myself in a pause. The primary reason for this decision was because the work became "work" - for twenty years, I had the privilege of being paid for something I enjoyed so much that it felt like play! And I had promised myself that the day I checked the time during a client session, it was time to go. That time came this year.

My biggest fear was that I would be lost without the anchor of coaching. Three months into this experience, I can truly say that I am slowly decompressing into slow living. Each day is powered by wonder and a yes versus a plan and a task list. Each morning, I have time to savor those moments between sleep and waking up. And each day brings its joys, travails, people interactions and challenges. And I meander, flow through each situation, each idea at my pace.

While the last sentences might bring to mind non-action, low productivity and energy...it is actually the absolute opposite. Everything that needs to happen gets done. It gets done on time and with care and quality. I am able to make delicious food with creative changes each time. There is space for movement and stillness every day - in a joyful manner! When I meet friends, I am fully there.

The biggest gift of slow living is understanding and experiencing the value of baby steps. I focus on the small changes. I decided that I will delete one "time hogging" app off my mobile each month. Three months in...no facebook, no linkedin, no Screw Master (a mindless game that helped me zone out in the past). I still check into Instagram, more frequently than I need. Now, I am able to notice that life, living is a process and I am on the way. Therefore I feel no pressure to "get it done now".

Before I end this post, for sure slow living feels like privilege. Being able to live without having a live income stream and being able to have no responsibilities of care giving is rare. And I understand and honor that privilege with each of my posts.

(Picture Credit: In London, June 2025)