What’s your current pace?
If you were to calculate your average pace these last few days (from a non judgmental lens), what number would you give yourself? This doesn’t have to be a scientific calculation, but maybe you notice you are running at 100 mph, or you’re moving slow at 10 mph, maybe your engines aren’t even on or you’re somewhere in between it all! What information can you gather?
Pace has been a theme I’ve been sitting with for the last few weeks. Learning to slow down to notice, feel and sense pace has been a helpful practice in managing my energy, emotions and mindset. It supports me detangling from the unsustainable and invisible shackles of the capitalistic values of what productivity looks like and helps me be less emotionally reactive.
My pace for the last few days has averaged around 15 mph, even though my husband and I just drove from Seattle to LA. It has felt pretty amazing to start the year off with a slow and steady speed, even if there are moments when my mind gets impatient and wants to speed everything up, I realize the value in going slow and finding my own pace to own.
What is pace? To me, pace signifies the speed at which I move through life. During quarantine, I don’t have the hustle of my commute, but there is still both an internal and external sense of speed to meet deadlines, complete projects, show up in relationships, cook dinner, clean the house, etc.
I’ve witnessed my speed increase when I have coffee and sugar, and it decreases when I have alcohol or tea.
My internal pace increases when I speed walk and decreases when I do my slow flow pilates routine.
My pace increases when I feel my daily calendar is too full and my pace decreases when I pay attention to my breath and breathe in for 5 and out for 5.
My pace gears up if I look at my phone before meditating in the morning and my pace decreases when I don’t have my list of priorities set ahead of the day.
When I work with a speedy pace, I can feel more accomplished, make more mistakes and get out of the perfectionist mindset.
When my pace is steady, I feel my creativity come alive. I feel more present to the little moments of life and I can witness my emotions with more equanimity. When my pace is slow I can feel rested as well as feel tension in my mind and hear that inner critic saying, “I am wasting time.”
Noticing these themes gives me more insight to make intentional choices so that there is less reactivity and more ease in my life.
How might exploring pace be a helpful prompt for you in your life?
Want to explore pace further? Check out Centered in the City for a guided meditation and mindfulness exercises to support you further. You will get access to the platform for a free 7 day trial.