Recently, I celebrated one year that I moved from my native country, the United States, to the Dominican Republic.  The energy, its people, and the rhythms of this place are quite different than back home.  This certainly comes to mind more often when speaking with clients, family and friends who many times talk about the chronic stress, overwhelm and hyperactivity that dominate their life.

I remember this frantic pace. In fact, it was my life and a central theme for decades in the US. For most of it, I didn’t question it, just as many of our clients don’t either because it has been ingrained in the American culture as the way to be. Constantly producing, working, being ‘busy” is expected and celebrated, but at what cost and is this the only way?

It was in my own healing journey starting with self inquiry, going inward, and contemplation that I began to realize that I must slow down. In my frenetic pace and need to get to the next thing, time was passing and so was my life with it. I had to reassess my values and create new guiding principles by which I could slow down and be more present in my life. Experiencing it and embodying it rather than check off boxes. We must slow down in order to listen to our highest knowing, our intuition.  Ekhart Tolle says in his book, The Power of Now, “Realize deeply that the present moment is all you have. … The more you are focused on time—past and future—the more you miss the Now, the most precious thing there is.”

Now I am slowing down and savoring life a little more.  I enjoy being surrounded with and walking in nature constantly. I journal daily as well as practice mindfulness and meditate. I am aligning with my purpose as a guide to others helping you find your answers to, “Who Am I and what is my true life’s purpose?”  I am so proud of joining forces with Julie and co-founding Intrinsic Wholeness, an integrative wellness and transformative experience that supports our clients with those very questions and the need to many times slow down.