Rhythm and Pace

I've done an informal study on rhythm and timing, here's what I've found. As far as timing is concerned it is important to live at the speed of intuition. What I mean is, you shouldn't live at a pace faster than you can intuit what the next right action is.

Rhythm: for me I've decided it is important to live in accord with my internal rhythms. This means I like to wake up slowly over a two hour period before I'm forced out of myself and into the tasks of the day. These hours are spent drinking tea, feeling the warm mug against me, sitting by the fire, and just generally coming into my body. Best case scenario, wake, take 30 min. to write down my dreams. Put the tea kettle on, sit by the fire while it gets going. Steep the tea, sit while the tea cools, drink the tea. Now an hour is passed. Whatever happens next can differ, but I usually choose semi-conscious activities that take very little effort from me. My priority is to live to this inner rhythm.

I just discovered John O'Donaohue's perspective on Rhythm in his book Anam Cara, page 150 and it was new to me and interesting. "Rapidity is another force causing massive stress in the work place.... A native of Africa rushed because the Western Explorer told him to rush there was a date they needed to hit. After three days of rushing the man sat down and would not move. He said, "We have moved too quickly to reach here; now we need to wait to give our spirits a chance to catch up with us." John encourages, "Let the neglected presence of your soul come to meet and engage you again. It can be a lovely reacquaintance with your forgotten mystery."

Ann Lamott in the book Plan B, quoted another saying, if the devil can't make you sin he'll keep you busy. Why? Because breath connects us with all of life, including God, so if the devil can keep you from breathing he doesn't need to force you to sin, his goal is complete, you are separated from God.

John also illuminated this point, "The quality of our experience always determines the actual rhythm of time. When you are in pain, every moment slows down until it resembles a week. When you are happy and really enjoying your life time flies." (p.178) The Celtic stories suggest that time as the rhythm of soul has an eternal dimension where everything is gathered and minded. Here nothing is lost. This is the great consolation....everything is stored in your soul in the temple of memory."