In a world that values speed and busyness, what happens when we intentionally choose to slow down?
Theatre-making practices in Asia taught me that intentional slow movement can effectively disrupt habitual patterns of movement and ways of being in both our physical bodies and mindsets. During my training experiences in the humble Tokyo studio of Yoshito Ohno, son of the legendary co-founder of butoh, Kazuo Ohno, I encountered a powerful lesson.
As a performance form, Butoh teaches intensely present, slow movements as a basis for an organic form of expression. Outside of Tokyo in the studio one day, a talented dancer struggled with an exercise of slowing down every movement she made. As she gracefully moved her body across the space, the teacher asked her to slow down. He repeated this request multiple times, and in her attempts to integrate this into her expressed body, she twitched and shook, unable to dance slowly.
It was evident how her habit of moving in a particular way restricted her from exploring a slower strategy. Yoshito-san suggested, as an embodied remedy to her habits, that she explore and practice Noh, a six-hundred-year-old traditional Japanese form of theatre, often characterized by slow and codified movements. (Noh is actually the oldest living form of theatre in the world).
He emphasized how changing 'the dance' requires a different aesthetic of movement.
My personal practice of slowing down is informed by first hand experiences of anthropological forms of theatre, and supported by slow movement and sensory mindfulness. This helps me to manage my stress and regulate effectively, enhancing a sense of well being and creative calm. I can then re-load with focused and creative energy.
In our fast-paced world, over time, consistency beats intensity. Intense burst of busyness, without slower respites, may contribute to stress, burnout, and a constriction of our ability to self-regulate, all conditions that stifle creative flow. But slowness might be a contributing key to reclaiming our wellness, by facilitating embodied disruption and neurological repatterining.
As an experiment in practice, try expriencing things in your life more slowly. Moving slowly, thinking slowly, witnessing slowly, listening slowly, acting slowly, and responding slowly, can counterbalance the negative impacts of our rushed lives.
While slowness may seem counterproductive, the opposite is true.A slow strategy nurtures responsiveness, reflection, calm, creativity, and connection, which is a foundation for sustainable consistency.Intentional slowness is empowering, practical, and refreshing. It transcends time, gives direction to pace, and can profoundly impact our well-being.
So, take your time to move into a slower lane and begin to practice a different dance.
* Contact me if you are curious to explore how you can develop and integrate a slower strategy in your personal life, creative work, and collaborations.
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