Via The Tricycle Community \\ Three Teachings on Slowing Down

 

Browse our online courses » July 10, 2025 There’s No Need to Be Busy   “I’m too busy to meditate” is an excuse we’ve all heard and may have even said ourselves. Putting aside the value of five minutes, or one minute, or even one breath, of meditation, which can help us move past this unproductive thinking, the problem isn’t just that we believe we’re too busy to practice. It’s that we’re too busy, period. “There’s no need to be busy,” Theravada Buddhist nun and teacher Ayya Khema says succinctly.  If we can pause for a moment, mindfully tune into the senses and the breath, and ask ourselves why we’re rushing around, we may surprise ourselves. Rushing creates a sense of urgency, panic at the extreme, but a sense of ease lies beneath. Busyness can be a habit. But if we release ourselves from autopilot, we might be more apt to prioritize, freeing up time and energy to find deeper meaning in our choices and deeper satisfaction.  This week’s Three Teachings prompts us to consider why we’re so busy and offers practices to help us slow down. Forward today's teachings to a friend » The Art of Slowing Down By Martin Aylward Urging us to reflect on the pace of our actions and capacity for ease, meditation teacher Martin Aylward reminds us of the counterintuitive truth that when we slow down, we have more time. Read more » There’s No Need to Be Busy By Ayya Khema Theravada Buddhist nun and teacher Ayya Khema encourages us to assess the motives behind our actions, advising us to stick to activities inspired by compassion and eliminate those that reify our egos or avoid the source of our suffering. “The more we try to prove that we are somebody, the less we have a chance to become nobody,” she says. Read more » A Reminder to Pause By Kathy Cherry Meditation teacher and Dharma Punx NYC founding member Kathy Cherry offers a series of short practices that can help us work with our nervous systems, unhook from our own stories, and slow down throughout the day. Read more »