Màn màn zǒu (Slowly, slowly walk)

慢慢走 Màn màn zǒu, they say.

Slowly, slowly, walk, they say.

Walk slowly, unhurried, easefully.

An expression commonly uttered by the living and by ancestors, the Unseen living.

Slowly, as our feet touches the ground tenderly,

Unhurried, as a blessing to be carefree,

Easefully, as each step is protected and guided.

As even walking is a devotional act of heart-mind-body, an act so ordinary and mundane for me, yet holy for my ancestors to care about.

Màn màn zǒu, they say.

The next minute will take care of itself; stay with the moment at hand.

You complain that you can’t see the bridge, but it will only be visible when you approach the water.

Màn màn zǒu, they say.

Slow is fast.

Gentle is powerful.

Soft is courageous.

Màn màn zǒu, they say.

You see more when you walk slowly.

You meet more people on the way.

You can recharge as you are active when you’re slow, Yin in Yang’s arms.

I will meet you slowly, when you’re ready,

my priority is for you to remain at ease, says Yang.

Màn màn zǒu, they say.

When we can finally trust that slowly will not end us, we begin to understand what trust is about in the first place.

That the ground is here, despite of us slowing down, and finding our breath. 

That the ground does not require us to run and outrun to exist.

The ground has existed before we arrived to the scene.

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