La Calma: Practicing Slowness in a Culture That Values Speed

The Italians have a way of looking at the world through how slowly and skillfully one can move through it.

American culture values moving fast, from the way we drive, to the way we consume, the way we live our day to day existence. Practicing la calma means learning to live unhurriedly in a culture that values speed. (I did not say efficiency; the Germans are unmatched there). We constantly feel this sense of urgency to do more, to be more. It is a revolutionary act to choose la calma amidst the rush of American life.

Slow mornings, la passeggiata (walking without destination), an abundance of time to get errands done, moving slowly and mindfully through your life. The Italians recognize that life is to be enjoyed. Americans see life as something to accomplish. Americans are some of the most hardworking (and friendliest!) people. Our culture has been shaped in such a way that requires and encourages speed.

Choosing then to carry the awareness of la calma in our daily lives, practicing la calma, forces us also to face the loneliness of choosing slowness in a culture that values speed.

Structuring your day in what feels doable and possible, not punishing yourself for not accomplishing all the tasks. To enjoy an espresso, to breathe the air around you, is possible by simply coming back to this moment, right now. You do not need to wait for a special moment or a PDF worksheet to refer back to in your moment of anxiety. You can choose to cheer up on the spot by simply welcoming yourself home in the present moment, to your breath in the here and now.

The constant pull of work, parenting, health concerns, family dynamics, and relationships is always tugging at your time. How many come to the end of life believing they had more time, or expressing regrets about who they did not become? Choosing la calma asks us to break through the illusion that time, your time, is infinite.

Habitual patterns, ways of doing and ways of being, can keep you prisoner to a life you chose, a life you did not choose, or even a life that was chosen for you. And yet, because you are alive, everything is possible. You are only ever one decision away from a completely different way of being.