An Invitation to Slow Down

Living in the 21st Century, we sometimes get caught up in our obligations and to-do lists, forgetting about the important things in life.

During your stay at Casa Gallina, I invite you to slow down and wake up your senses.

As you spend time here, inhale the aroma of fireplaces burning with Piñon and Cedar in the cold months, and the pungent scent of Sagebrush after a summer rain storm. Hear the songs of red-winged blackbirds flocking in the cottonwoods above us and in the willows along the river, or the clucking of the hens in the gardens. Notice beauty in the adobe ruins melting back into the earth down the road. The smile of a shopkeeper in town. A piece of artwork. Watch those around you witnessing the same, savoring their time to sit still, absorbing the colors, sounds and smells around them.

In slowness we are forced to experience the fluctuations and vacillations in our mind, our patterns and habits, the world around us. Through slowness we witness the blowing of the wind, the cry of a coyote, a flower we never bothered to appreciate, the smile of a dog, the aroma of a cup of tea, the good morning kiss of a partner, the strength in our body, the beauty inside our home.

How slow is slow enough? We are addicted to speed, and the faster we go, the faster we want to go. But if you can slow down you will experience magic.

Slow things have more value, they take more time, and they deliver more. Slow food tastes better than fast food. A good meal takes time. Wild Trout in the river take time to grow up big and strong. Delicious produce takes time to go from seed to sprout to full grown and edible. Slow breathing makes you more relaxed than hyperventilating. Slow loving feels better. Deep, meaningful, lasting relationships take time to evolve, deepen and mature.