How Movement Helps you Slow Down
| Originally sent to my email list on June 9, 2026 “Dude! Do you ever feel rushed?” my friend texted me the other day, and I had to laugh, because I do, all the time. Until I create time in the morning to slow down, breathe and move. Sounds counter-intuitive? But it works. Because when we create, we are in charge: Time no longer owns us. These last few weeks have been, arguably, the busiest stretch of my year. Family in town. My daughter graduating from high school. Multiple projects, end-of-year school commitments, and deadlines. All now, all seemingly at the same time. Every day and every evening, solidly booked. At one point, I had to strategically bail on a few non-critical commitments simply because I knew if I didn’t, I would pya the price. Societal-guilt and pressue kicked in and I felt bad for a few moments, but as I reminded myself that the guilt wasn’t really mine and that it was an old habit, forged from the belief that I should follow through on every commitment, no matter what so that I’m not viewed as a flake. Sure, that’s an honorable thing. But not at the expense of your health. And perhaps the greater lesson here is that I overcommit (ahem!) Time is magical and monstrous, if we allow it to be. It has a way of escaping us while simultaneously dangling a carrot of completion, until we realize that completion outside of ourselves is a myth: we are already complete. We often tell ourselves we’ll start and be happy once we have enough time, enough money, enough certainty. But life rarely settles down.One thing ends, and another takes its place. There is never a “right” moment. Once we stop waiting for life to be perfect, we can finally begin. Take that vacation. Have that kid. Start that project. And in homage to the tenets of improv, practice saying “Yes, AND…” more often! Because if you’re waiting to feel perfectly relaxed, ready and complete, I’m sorry to break it to you, but it’ll probably never happen. So back to feeling rushed. Yup. Totally guilty. And that’s why I take time every single morning to do some kind of movement practice. For example, I had to leave San Diego the other day by 6:30 a.m. to make sure my daughter made it to LAX by 9:30 a.m. So I got up at 5:30 a.m. and did about 14 minutes of movement. Was fourteen minutes enough movement for me? Certainly not. But it was enough to change the trajectory of my day. Enough to give me a sense of owning my time, and not Time owning me. Enough to give me a sense of accomplishment.Those fourteen minutes paid themselves back tenfold. I felt a hundred times better than if I had slept for another 14 minutes and plummeted straight from bed to getting ready for the day. And psychologically, the sense of accomplishment that came from taking control of time released me from feeling rushed. I’m not rushed if I get up early to move, am I?  In fact, that act of getting up earlier than I need to gives me a sense of being an active participant in Time, rather than subject to its whims. Morning movement is a gift to myself, and I encourage you to do the same. Life isn’t slowing down anytime soon. But I can. Sometimes feeling rushed is a gift. It hits us square in the face because it’s asking us to step into our own medicine, our own way of being. Love, Respect, and Gratitude for this Gift of Life, |
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About the Author, Aria Morgan
Aria Morgan is an Teacher, Writer, Mom and Advocate. As a certified yoga teacher, Reiki Master, retired Doula, and Mindfulness Life Coach, Aria draws on over 27 years of daily practice in yoga, Qi Gong, meditation, mindfulness, and energy cultivation. She passionately believes that when we awaken our body's innate intelligence, anything is possible.
