There's an African saying that goes like this: Times are urgent, let us slow down. It may seem counter-intuitive as we face life's urgent problems. All over the world, many democracies and freedoms are threatened, are we supposed to slow down? The threat of climate change is dawning upon us and the window of opportunity to take action is small, are we supposed to slow down? The new coronavirus is a pandemic predicted to be uncontainable, are we supposed to slow down?
We may think that faster and sooner are the solutions, but faster and sooner can end up being problems by themselves. If we are in a hurry to address political problems without a long-term view, we may end up ourselves becoming the people we abhor. If we rush to find quick fixes to climate change, we may lose sight of the fact that our solutions harm many others. If we think getting a vaccine is needed with the-end-justifies-the-means mindset, we may end up using sentient beings for experimentation. Times are urgent, that is why we need to more than ever-- slow down. So we can think critically, take intentional action, and choose that which is not only efficient or effective, but also kind and non-violent. Times are urgent, let us slow down. Let us practice this slowing down in our bodies, in our yoga asanas, in our decision-making processes. In this slowing down, may the actions we take consider the full view and the long term, encompass the interests of not just a few but all, result in not just quick wins but everlasting positive changes. Times are urgent, let us slow down.
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