Tripping and Slowing Down: A Lesson From My Body
跌一跤，學會慢下來：身體給我的一堂課
Living on this earth, material and spiritual life have never truly been opposites. In fact, they are intimately connected—two sides of the same coin. Our body is not merely a vessel for the soul; it is also a gentle and honest messenger. When there are unacknowledged emotions, stress, or unmet needs within us, the body will always find a way to remind us.
Last month, I accidentally tripped while walking down the street, leaving a large bruise on my knee. At the time, I only felt pain and embarrassment. But this small mishap made me reflect on the pace of my life recently.
When the Body Starts to Protest
In the days following the injury, I was limping, and even had to pause my beloved yoga classes. At first, I just wanted to heal as quickly as possible. But gradually, I started to realize—maybe this fall wasn’t just an accident.
Thinking back to that period before the fall:
I was staying up past midnight almost every night
My mind wouldn’t stop racing, constantly filled with work and to-dos
I often felt “not good enough” or that “I haven’t done enough yet”
I kept pushing myself even when I was already exhausted
It was as if my body was yelling at me:
“Hey, you’re overdoing it. You need to stop and rest!”
A Message From My Knees
Our knees are the joints that help us move forward, and they also need flexibility to adapt to different terrains. This injury made me wonder:
Have I been pushing forward in the same way without giving myself space to adjust?
I used to believe that “as long as I work hard, it’ll be fine,” but now I’m beginning to question whether some of those methods still suit who I am today.
Maybe I need to learn:
Not to push through everything
To accept that plans sometimes change
To allow myself to be “imperfect”
Three Practical Changes
This experience led me to make a few concrete adjustments:
Evening Rituals
After 11 p.m., I stop using my phone. Instead, I make tea or read a book to truly let my brain unwind.Redefining the To-Do List
I separate “must-do” tasks from “want-to-do” ones, and I focus on only 3–5 truly important tasks each day.Body Check-In Time
I spend 5 minutes each day asking myself:
Where do I feel tightness or discomfort? What emotions or stress might be causing it?
A Gentle Reminder for You
If you’ve also been feeling like life is chasing after you lately, try asking yourself:
Is there any part of my body that feels uncomfortable right now?
Are there any habits or thought patterns that no longer serve who I am today?
If I were to be a little kinder to myself, what would that look like?
Falling down isn’t always a bad thing. Sometimes, it’s simply life reminding us to slow down—and to check in with what we truly need.
You, too, deserve to treat yourself with more gentleness. 💚
在這個地球上生活，物質與靈性從來不是對立的兩極。它們其實緊緊相連，互為表裡。我們的身體不只是承載靈魂的容器，更是一位溫柔誠實的信使——當內在有未被看見的情緒、壓力或忽略了的需求，身體總會以某種方式提醒我們。
上個月在街上走路時不小心跌倒，膝蓋瘀青了一大片。當下只覺得痛和尷尬，但這個小意外卻讓我重新思考自己最近的生活節奏。
當身體開始抗議
受傷後的幾天，走路一拐一拐的，連平時最愛的瑜伽課都得暫停。剛開始我只想著趕快好起來，但慢慢發現，也許這次跌倒不只是意外那麼簡單。
回想跌倒前的那段時間：
經常熬夜到12點後才睡
腦子停不下來，一直想著工作和待辦事項
常常覺得「還不夠好」「還有很多事沒做完」
明明很累了還在硬撐
就像身體在對我喊話：「喂，你太拚了，該停下來休息一下！」
膝蓋的提醒
膝蓋是讓我們往前走的關節，也需要彈性來適應不同的地形。這次受傷讓我想到：
我是不是一直用同一種方式在前進，沒有給自己調整的空間？
以前覺得「努力就對了」，但現在我開始懷疑，有些方法可能已經不適合現在的我了。也許我需要學會：
不要什麼都硬撐
接受計畫有時候會變動
允許自己有「不夠完美」的時候
三個實際的改變
這次經驗讓我做了一些具體的調整：
1. 睡前儀式 晚上11點後就不碰手機，改成泡茶或看書，讓大腦真正放鬆下來。
2. 待辦清單重整 把「必須做」和「想要做」分開，每天只專注在3-5件真正重要的事情上。
3. 身體檢查時間 每天花5分鐘問問自己：今天哪裡緊繃？哪裡不舒服？是什麼情緒或壓力造成的？
給你的小提醒
如果你最近也覺得被生活追著跑，不妨問問自己：
身體最近有什麼不舒服的地方嗎？
有沒有什麼習慣或想法已經不適合現在的你了？
如果要對自己更溫柔一點，你會怎麼做？
跌倒不一定是壞事，有時候它只是在提醒我們：慢下來，看看自己真正需要什麼。
你也值得用更溫和的方式對待自己。💚
