Embracing motion and stillness

Rose Lincoln

Harvard Staff Photographer

February 8, 2019 2 min read

Finding the space for both as deadlines and demands encroach

Running, boarding, biking, shuffling (with ice underfoot) … always on the go until something slows us down. It could be the beauty of freshly fallen snow, a meditation class, or a pause in a rigorous workout. Oft forgotten unless it is purposely part of our daily routine. In yoga, we learn the practice of holding the breath. Kumbhaka is encouraged because it is believed to strengthen the diaphragm, restore energy, and cleanse the respiratory system. As assignments pile up and deadlines loom, let’s not forget to slow down, pause for the stillness, and experience Kumbhaka moments.

On sunny days waves are reflected in the underbelly of the Weeks Footbridge that traverses the Charles River at DeWolfe Street in Cambridge to Harvard Business School in Allston.

A student runs the Harvard Stadium steps, starting her workout before sunup.

Niels Laurberg ’18 (from left), Patrick Hansen ’18, and Mitchel Cole ’16 of the lightweight men’s Harvard crew team work out at a practice in Newell Boathouse.

The Harvard Divinity Buddhist community holds a sitting meditation every Thursday at 8 a.m. in Andover Chapel at Harvard Divinity School. Meditating are Sarah Fleming (from left), Jonathan Makransky, Jill Gaulding, Yin Guan (foreground), and Kyle Kaplan (partially hidden).