Slow Time

Recently I purchased Slow Time: Recovering the Natural Rythm of Life by Waverly Fitzgerald. It had been cropping up in recommendations for a few years now, so I thought I'd give it a try. The book is based on the author's 12-week course on time and our perception of it. From what I've read so far, there seem to be two aims:
1. changing our relationship to time to bring more peace and calmness to our lives;
2. creating personal rituals to acknlowledge and celebrate the passage of time.

I've always been interested in time, calendars and festivals, so my interest was piqued straight away, and I could always do with more calm in my life. As soon as I began to read the book, I knew that there was something important about it. I spent some time nearly every day reading it and working on the exercises (which are called 'Time Plays' to be less intimidating). I've been making sure to really take the time to let each section sink in before moving on to the next. I guess the concept of the book is having an effect on me already!

I completed Week 1 earlier today. Tasks for Week 1 included a reflection on my relationship to and beliefs about time, and how these have developed in my life. Another task was to think about how I want my relationship with time to be. I thought the most interesting task was to imagine that time was a friend, and write about your relationship with that friend: what you like about them, what you argue about, etc.

As well as the exercises designed to stimulate you to think differently about time, there are also observations about different cultures and how humanity's perception of time has changed. I found these very interesting and I'm looking forward to continuing.