December 2025 Week 4
Slow Down to the Speed of Joy
“Drop into a pace where joy is not a destination, but a companion.”
This could be a very busy week for all of us, how are you doing with holiday prepping, plans, gathering and maybe end of year work responsibilities and traveling added in?
Today I led a shorter 10 minute meditation along with a slow paced 1 hour yoga class to help us calm our nervous system and drop into our intention of Slowing Down to the Speed of Joy. Whether you celebrate Christmas or not, you may see around you the word JOY. This could be viewed as the opposite of busy, hurried, rushed, stressed which is no way to go through the holidays or close out 2025!
“When we soften our pace, we return to the quiet place where joy is born.”
How about your mind? Your thoughts? We spoke of our yoga sutra 1.27 in class today, reminding us the real reason for our yoga practice which is to calm the modifications in the mind, the chatter, chitta!
Yoga Sūtra 1.27 states:
“Tasya vācakaḥ praṇavaḥ.”
Meaning: “Its expression is the sound Om.”
Here’s the simple explanation:
In the previous sutras, Patanjali describes Īśvara — a special kind of consciousness that is pure, unaffected, timeless, and always free.
Sutra 1.27 says that the way we express or connect with that pure consciousness is through the sound Om (Aum).
Om is considered the “vibration” or “symbol” of this universal consciousness.
Patanjali is saying:
“If you want a direct way to connect to the deepest stillness and wisdom in yoga, use the sound Om.”
It’s like giving us an anchor — a simple, repeatable tool.
Why Om?
• It calms the mind
• It brings attention inward
• It symbolizes everything—creation, preservation, dissolution
Chanting Om is a practical method for touching something deeper than the busy mind. Is your mind too busy, too clouded to drop into the JOY of your life? Our attitudes, feelings and actions all stem from our thoughts and don’t forget the only thing we have control over are our thoughts.
Patanjali says that the clearest way to connect to our inner wisdom is through the sound Om. It’s really about having a simple tool that cuts through the noise of everyday life.
When life gets loud (or your inner world gets loud), use this sound to find your center again.
It’s a reminder that peace isn’t something we have to go searching for; it’s something we can tune into anytime, with a single breath and a single sound.
“Move slowly, breathe deeply, and meet the joy that’s been waiting within you.”
Whatever holiday you are celebrating, I wish you peace in your heart, your mind and your soul and so much JOY along the way! Slow down, don’t miss the JOY - let it catch up to you!