Most sport and fitness clubs and groups wouldn't be able to function without volunteers like these. Their get-up-and-go helps others stay healthy, make friends, enter competitions and more. Read on to find out what inspires them to make it happen for others.

All | Carrie | Louise | Jane

« Previous month (Oct 2006) | Main | Next month (Dec 2006) »

Tuesday Nov 28, 2006

International Slow Day Feb 19th 2007

I am having a nightmare setting up another volunteer healing circle.  People seem to just want to get their heads down and chug towards Detox Season (post December 31st) with minimal fuss and commitments.  Welcome to the pre Christmas Rush - and doesn't it seem to start earlier every year with some shops stocking Christmas and Halloween stuff side by side.  Or maybe that is Easter and Christmas stuff.

A  New Year is traditionally for New Starts.  And not before.  Prior to that it's about stuffing your face with chocolates, turkey, roast potatoes, more turkey, mince pies, more turkey, wine, more turkey, christmas pud, more turkey and then swigging down some red bull to give you some energy to get you out to yet another Xmas do whilst eating yet more turkey and cursing your LBD for not being stretchy or elasticated enough (that's Little Black Dress for the boys).  People I am hearing ya!  You are stressed and busy.  The healing circles are being delayed.  Besides I am moving back to my flat in the New Year and will soon be knee deep in packing materials yet again. 

So with this in mind, and with my passion for healing I am going to introduce you all to something a bit different in this entry and possibly quite apt considering - it's the Slow Movement. 

Carl Honore, author of In Praise Of Slow (www.inpraiseofslow.com) has brought this movement to public attention.   The key to the Slow Movement is mostly in the title.  We get more done by trusting, reflecting, savouring and pacing ourselves.  Less is very much more.  Our lives are slaves to the clock and slaves to our diaries.  Even our food is hurried creating god knows what mischief to our stomachs and nutrition.  The Italians are big fans of this way of thinking and have an organisation called Slow Food and interestingly are behind a piece of information I found on Carl's site the other day -  February 19th 2007 International Slow Day.  This would be a day to kick back, meander around the park, pour over the papers, savour a cappucino, enjoy that novel you never find the time for, ponder the pictures in an art gallery - you get the idea.  And the best bit is the 19th is a Monday.  What a way to enjoy a Monday! 

Here is the downside though.  There seems to be little public awareness for this day yet so here is what I suggest.  Click on Carl's site and find the link and spread the word to all friends and family in emails etc.  It doesn't have to be much - Slow is all about being small and the power of accumulated small efforts. 

How great would it be to have a lazy Monday at work?!

Thanks for reading folks and do keep checking back because I have many ideas buzzing around in my head in regards to volunteer projects for the New Year.

in health and friendship

Jane

Posted by Jane ( 4:15 PM )
Link to this post Comments[1]