The Beauty of Less

It was exactly this time nine years ago that my husband and I, our teething one-year-old and just-turned-four-year-old, embarked on a 10-hour flight to Miami—the start of a six-month travel adventure.

Life had been full to the brim—parenting two young boys, renovating our home, and navigating my husband working away half the week. We were grateful, of course—but we were also utterly worn out.

 We wanted to slow down, live simply, and—hopefully—give the boys a taste of the excitement that comes with discovering new countries.

We rented our house out and mixed travel abroad with time visiting friends and family back home, doing our best to stretch our savings and keep things simple.

I loved every part of our trip, from how little we needed, to how slowly we were able to live. We travelled with two backpacks and a small bag of toys. How wonderful it was to have no piles of washing! The boys never complained about missing their toys. Having fewer toys made them much more imaginative and inventive. And waking up each morning with no plans, no emails to send, or phone calls to make was a unique bliss.

 We were welcomed everywhere we went. My oldest son still looks through the photo albums and remembers the constant supply of free biscuits they got in Italian cafés, and the warmth of the smiles they received from local Guatemalans.

 In Chinese medicine, this slowing down—this drawing inward—is part of what we call yin. It’s the energy of rest, coolness, nourishment and stillness, while its counterpart, yang, represents warmth, activity and movement. Of course, the doing has its place. But often, it’s only when we step away from the noise that we realise how much we need the quiet.

 By slowing down—wherever we can—we gently recalibrate our body and mind.  Not always racing to the next thing. Not always “on.” Just here. 

This is the medicine I’ve carried back from our travels: keeping things simple, saying no a little more often, and making room for stillness. 

 And if you're feeling stretched, overwhelmed, or simply in need of a moment of calm, acupuncture can help. It's a gentle, grounded way to support your system and restore balance from the inside out.