Eckhart Tolle talks about the Power of Now and Buddhism talks about silencing the mind and chatter and just being.
And someone came up with the saying “we have two ears and one mouth; we should listen more than we speak”.
If you are experiencing chaos, disharmony and drama in your life the practice of stepping into stillness could be of great benefit to you.
When you step into stillness it doesn’t mean all the chaos, drama and disharmony just goes away. What it means is that you can look at everything from a different perspective, a place of stillness.
From this place of stillness, you will find greater inner peace, focus and clarity about your life, the event or circumstances you find yourself in. It is in this place that you can then act with purpose and understanding as opposed to just reacting.
The Act of Stepping into Stillness
Living in the now, being able to relax into the present moment, to quieten the chatter of the mind, to find the stillness is not the easiest of practices.
Here are some questions to explore to help you on your journey to stillness:
- What do I need to stop doing in order to find my silence and focus on what truly matters?
- What do I need to start doing in order to find my silence and focus on what truly matters?
- What is within my control and what is not within my control? Those items that are not in your control, you need to let go of.
- What is my mind, my inner critic saying when I try to get into a state of stillness? Write the comments and thoughts down, then explore their possible origin and why they exist and are wanting to be heard or thought about.
Another way to ease yourself into stillness is practising mindfulness. During mindfulness you become aware of all the thoughts and feelings you are experiencing but you let them go. You let them flow through you, and don’t attach to any of them. Don’t try to stop them or force them away. Be the observer, observe and allow.
Why Practice Stillness?
We live in a world filled with busyness, information overload and the practice of always “doing” something. We feel that to be productive, successful and to achieve things in life we must always be on the go.
We then wonder why we experience stress, fatigue, burn out, frustration, confusion, decision fatigue and other ailments. We need to take time to disconnect from the fast-paced world we live in. Disconnect from work, from technology, from others, from doing the same thing all the time.
When we step into stillness, we find clarity around those things we may be struggling with in life. We start to focus on the things that truly matter to us and add value to our lives. We develop and strengthen our relationship with ourselves, our soul. We start to listen to what our bodies are expressing to us, instead of pushing through and ignoring the symptoms and signs.
There are many great opportunities and outcomes from practising stillness in your life.
But I don’t have time
Yes, you do. You have all the time in the world to sit and listen. To listen to what you really want in your life, to listen to your heart, to your soul, to your body about what is going on.
It may only start as 30 seconds here and there. It is not about how long you can maintain stillness; it is about the quality of stillness you create and the benefits you receive from it. It is not a competition or something you “do”. It is something you choose to allow to be a part of your life.
Remember you don’t have to be “doing” all the time. The act of “being” and practising stillness is as equally important in the journey to living your highest potential in this lifetime.
