You don’t have time not to slow down. In the face of burnout, lack of passion, and endless to-do lists, what if to achieve more you need to do less? “There’s too much at stake not to slow down,” shares Qi Gong master Lee Holden. “By slowing down, you’ll gain time, energy, focus, and clarity.” The idea that slowing down can lead to more productivity may sound too good to be true, but research confirms it does this and more—if only we can figure out a way to apply it in our everyday lives.

In this transformative guide, Holden shares The Slow Method, principles of slow mind, body, and relationships drawn from the philosophical wisdom of Eastern meditation, martial arts, and philosophies and merged with Western science. The resulting practices offer ways to access the magical benefits of slowing down to create lasting change in your life and the lives of those you love.

Here you’ll gain tools and insights for taking the space and time to practice:

• Primal shaking or gratitude meditation for the mind

• Vagal breathing, optimal digestion acupressure, and in-the-moment nature methods for the body

• Heartful self-connection, conscious communication, and sexual reflexology for relationships and connecting deeply with those you love

• And more!

No matter which practices you decide to focus on, you’ll be learning the power of slow, something that’s vital to rediscover our zest for life. Instead of picking up the not-so-pleasurable energies of stress, anxiety, and whirlwinds of negativity, you’ll learn to acquire more of the energy you actually want: peace, love, vitality, health, healing, tranquility, connection, and general positivity. With small, incremental changes to the way you live and relate, you’ll develop a comprehensive understanding of how to slow down. You’ll increasingly embrace life’s rhythms along the way as you cultivate and absorb the life-giving energy that we’re all in dire need of.