Today I’m trying an experiment: I’m trying to reduce the speed of all of my movements. It sounds strange, but it’s actually loosely based off of a meditative kinetic exercise I tried last night that arose from a combination of Kabuki, Noh, and Butoh. Because I am a novice and have only a rudimentary understanding of the exercise and its history, I will instead relate what I did: I took three steps, as slowly as I possibly could. It doesn’t seem like much, but the idea is to be so well-balanced you can stop at any point and stand indefinitely. To be successful requires being keenly aware of your body and its movement, as well as concentrating intently on how your feet contact the floor. Again, mine is an imperfect knowledge but I was fascinated by the experience.

The exercise reminded me of just how enjoyable it is to take things slowly, and how I had always planned on spending a day where the single goal was to do just that. Moving slowly, it is amazingly how differently things seem. When my feet move deliberately and methodically, rather tahn as quickly as possible, my brain gets the message to slow down and stop worrying about a million and one things, like the environment, politics, the economy, the projects I want to finish, the lines I need to practice for a show. I’ve been moving at this reduced speed since waking up (admittedly, I cheated and showered at normal pace in the interest of not wasting water). My morning routine, which has not changed from as far back as I can remember, suddenly seemed new, as if I had become aware of it for the first time. I can’t always manage my goal of moving entirely at half my normal speed (it can seem particularly odd with lots of quickly moving people around) but the idea is to move and act intentionally and with awareness. Sometimes I have to move more quickly to avoid becoming stressed over certain things, but the emphasis is to focus on movement and being aware.

My experience so far has been that the most difficult thing is just to remember to go slowly, to remember to experience things. My daily routine is typically automated and even if my body is wind awake, my mind isn’t necessarily. Apart from the intention of slowing down, today isn’t intrinsically different from most Wednesdays, today I feel more rooted and calmer. I’ve been taking my time savoring the food I made, rather than eating quickly to get on to the next thing. And even if moving slowly doesn’t work, moving with awareness, feeling the ground as you move, is often enough. Even though it’s a cold and rainy day, I’ve been enjoying things more, especially since I can’t try to cram things into my day.

If slowing down for a whole day doesn’t work for you, try taking just a few steps like this. Feel how your feet hit the ground, how your weight shifts and balances, how you breathe in and out. It’s a great and fast (no pun intended) way to slow yourself down. If you have any meditation hacks, or want to share what you thought of trying this, feel free to post below. I’ll be adding a comment later on the rest of the day.