Slow and Steady

 

"Slow is smooth, smooth is fast."

Emily Harrington is the first woman to free-climb the Golden Gate route up to El Capitan, a 3000-foot-high monolith in Yosemite National Park, in under 24 hours on November 4, 2020.

Close to 18 years ago, I had the pleasure of traveling to California with my husband to visit our family. While we were there, we camped and hiked in Yosemite National Park. It was a wonderful adventure, full of so many amazing experiences in nature. One of which was watching the climbers of El Capitan through binoculars. The strength of spirit, will and confidence was awe inspiring to witness. We saw climbers in tents and hammocks resting on the side of this steep cliff between climbs, and the slow and steady ascent of the people who risked their lives to crest such a massive vertical rock formation. Many unsuccessful attempts to climb El Cap were made in the late 1950's. The earliest successful ascent was in 1957, using supports such as pendulum swings, pitons, and other climbing gear which took 45 grueling days to accomplish. There were many attempts between that first climb in 1957, to Carolynn Hill, who was the first woman to free-climb 'The Nose' of El Capitan in 1993, repeating her climb again the following year under 24 hours. Free-climb means the climber uses ropes as safety precautions and protection, but doesn't have equipment that assists in the journey. When I read about Lynn and Emily's feats, I was amazed by the concentration, strength, stamina and endurance to experience such a day of exertion! Emily's focus was held by a mantra, which she shared as, 'slow is smooth, smooth is fast." The simplicity in this single statement kept her present and on task. I can only imagine the fear that was building and the thoughts that were swirling as she climbed higher and higher. Emily's accomplishment is exciting and worth celebrating, steeped in the beauty of the power of meditation in nature. Emily's climb is a beacon for our own day to day efforts to keep going and growing, to stay steady, move slowly, and breathe one step at a time.

Mantras are powerful. 

A mantra is a word or sound repeated to aid concentration in meditation. 

Mantras have become somewhat mainstream as a form of intention, but the sanskrit word can be broken down into two parts, "man" meaning mind and "tra" meaning vehicle or transport. In practice, mantras are instruments of the mind. We use a mantra to maintain focus, concentration and direction to assist us in staying present with sensation and experience. As we enter a meditative state, thoughts can flow in and out taking us in the past and too far into the future, redirecting us from the present moment.

I have used mantras in the past while practicing movement in the form of yoga postures, walking and hiking. If I am feeling anxious or unsettled and I need grounding, I will use a mantra to reconnect and bring me back to what is important. I think choosing a mantra is a personal decision. Someone can give you ideas or inspiration, but ultimately what works is what feels right in your mind and heart. I also think mantras can change depending on what the desired outcome is, for example Emily's mantra " slow is smooth, smooth is fast" related to her intention of climbing swiftly and gliding towards her goal. 

There is a rich history in the use of mantras, and you can read more about them here. For the purpose of this post and the use of mantras in our everyday life, I find simplicity is key. I love teaching movement under the title, 'Slow Flow'. My idea is that if we move purposefully, connect to breath and stay aware of each transition between movements then we are practicing a form of meditation in motion. To stay focused at this pace, a mantra or theme is used when I teach, 'slow and steady' are the words that continuously resonate for me. When we move slowly, we move with intention, when we ensure we are steady, we build strength and focus. 

Join me Wednesday evenings for Slow Flow 730-845p. 

Register online paypal.me/michelleheronyoga

My goal is to create an online space where we can breathe, move, breathe and meditate together as 2020 comes to a close.

Our last class of November will be 11/18, there will be no class on 11/25.

We will resume class in December on 12/2, 12/9, and 12/16.

I hope to see you virtually on the mat!

With love and care,

Michelle