We live in a fast world.
Fast food. Fast decisions. Fast responses. Fast scrolling.
And somewhere in the middle of all that speed, it becomes dangerously easy to stop listening.
We stop listening to our bodies. We ignore the exhaustion, the tension, and the gut feelings that something’s not right.
We stop listening to others. We miss the stories behind their words, the pain behind their reactions, and the invitation to presence and relationship.
And maybe without even realizing it, we stop listening to God.
It’s not usually intentional. Life just keeps moving. And as long as we keep up the pace, keep checking the boxes, pushing through, and staying “productive”, it can seem like everything is fine.
But eventually, something catches up with us.
Maybe it’s a wave of exhaustion we can’t ignore. Maybe it’s a deep sense of disconnection. Maybe it’s a quiet whisper we’ve been trying not to hear. Maybe it’s God’s Spirit saying, “Come. Sit. Be.” Maybe something slams the brakes on our lives and we are forced to stop. Something happens and we realize we need to go deeper.
And the truth is…to go deep, we have to go slow.
Slowness Is a Spiritual Practice
Going slow sounds simple. But for many of us, it’s a real challenge.
Slowness requires presence. It requires attention. It requires courage.
Because when we slow down, we feel things. We notice the stress in our shoulders or the grief in our chest. We start to hear the inner voice we’ve been ignoring. We start to sense God drawing near. And we can’t ignore all the stuff inside anymore.
But going slow doesn’t just happen, it’s something we practice.
And that’s where Christian yoga can become a powerful space of transformation.
We slow the breath.
We slow the movement.
We slow the mind.
And in doing so, we begin to make space for God to speak and for us to truly listen.
Physically Slow, Spiritually Deep
There’s a misconception that slowing down means doing less. But if you’ve ever tried to lift a weight slowly, or hold a yoga posture for longer, you know that slow can actually be harder than fast.
That’s true physically, and it’s also true spiritually.
Slowness invites us to be present. And presence is what leads to depth.
When we rush through postures or prayers, it’s easy to stay in the surface layer of our experience. But when we slow down, even just a few breaths at a time, we begin to notice things.
We feel where the body is tight or tender.
We notice where the mind is racing or distracted.
We become aware of what the heart is carrying.
And that’s when we can begin to truly respond to what’s going on in our life and invite God in. Not because God wasn’t already there but we may have not noticed it or had been closed off to it.
Slow movement in yoga becomes a form of embodied listening. It’s not about perfection or performance, it’s about presence. As we move with intention and breath, we create a sacred rhythm: Move slowly. Breathe deeply. Listen closely.
That rhythm opens the door to transformation.
Why Going Slow Can Be Hard
Slowing down can feel scary at first.
Because the moment we stop running, stop numbing, and stop distracting, we come face to face with what’s really going on. The emotions we’ve shoved down. The questions we haven’t answered. The aches we’ve tried to ignore.
But here’s the grace: we don’t slow down alone.
Jesus says in Matthew 11:28–29,
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart,
and you will find rest for your souls” (NIV).
Slowness is not punishment. It’s an invitation.
It’s an invitation to stop striving.
To stop pretending.
To stop carrying it all alone.
And instead…to come…to breathe…to rest…to listen.
To find what your soul has been longing for all along.
Breath: The Anchor of Slowness
One of the simplest, yet most powerful tools for slowing down is the breath.
When we link breath to movement, breathing in as we rise, breathing out as we fold for example, we create a rhythm that brings us into the present.
When we breathe slowly and intentionally, we activate the part of the nervous system that signals safety and calm. The body begins to settle. The mind begins to still. The heart begins to open.
And in that space, we are more able to hear God’s voice.
The breath becomes a bridge between body and spirit. Between our inner world and the presence of God.
Try this simple breath prayer as you move slowly in your next practice:
Inhale: I slow down
Exhale: To hear You, God
Repeat that for a few breath cycles with movement or stillness, and notice how even that one practice can begin to shift something inside.
Moving Slowly with Grace
Slowness isn’t about perfection.
You might get distracted. You might feel restless. You might even want to give up and move faster again.
But the invitation is to meet yourself with grace. To be kind to your body. To notice what comes up with compassion.
Christian yoga isn’t a performance. It’s a practice. And slowness is one of the most powerful ways we can practice being present with God and with ourselves.
Whether you’re standing, seated, or resting on the floor, the key is to move slowly. Remain mindful of each breath, each shift, each sensation. Noticing. Responding. Surrendering.
A Slower Path to a Deeper Life
When we move slowly, we become more aware, not just of our bodies, but of our lives.
We start to hear what our story is telling us. We start to hear more of the story God is inviting us into.
We notice where we’re rushing past relationships that matter.
We recognize where we’ve been ignoring the Spirit’s nudge.
We feel the grief, joy, fear, or love that we’ve buried beneath busyness.
And we begin to bring all of that, our full selves, into God’s presence.
To go deep, we have to go slow.
To go slow, we need grace.
And Christian yoga gives us a place to meet both.
Try a Practice
If you’re ready to explore this slower way of moving and listening, I’d love to invite you to a Christian yoga class where we practice going deep through slowness: 17-Minute Christian Yoga Stretch – Go Slow to Go Deep.
It’s available on YouTube and inside our membership, and it’s a space for you to…
-Slow the breath
-Move with intention
-Listen with your whole being
=Invite God into the stillness
Because sometimes, it’s in the slowest spaces that the deepest healing happens.
