.stop()

🔬

Air travel is so unremarkable these days that we have no reason to think about the physics of what keeps airplanes aloft. We see here the cross-section of an aircraft wing along with airstream lines. Notice that the stream lines above and below the wing are continuous, and that the middle one appears to stop, then restart at the back of the wing. The meeting point of the middle stream line and the front of the wing is known as the stagnation point. The air is rushing at great speed towards the wing, then is forced to stop, marking the dividing line between air flowing above and below the wing.

If the wing changes its angle with respect to the airstream, the stagnation point will shift, and a different flow pattern will emerge.

🧩

When air moves around an airfoil, a stagnation point naturally arises; the flow cannot exist without the stillness. In the same way, activity is always in contrast to stillness, and for us to sustain one we must experience the other. This act may take many forms, including a meditation practice or turning down an invitation for an event you are ambivalent about.

🖋️

• When was the last time you really slowed down? How does this feel when everyone around you seems to be going at full pace? What would it take to feel more assured about a conscious decision to practice this form of self care?

📚

Watch an example of smoke passing around an airfoil.

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