Learning From Stillness
by Starcat

As I write this, I look out into a wintry landscape. Spring Equinox is tomorrow, yet the snow is falling today, quickly accumulating on all available surfaces. In the midst of the storm, the trees stand still, letting the wind and weather swirl around them.

Often our lives are full and busy, in motion, an endless list of things to do until we’re finally ready to collapse into bed. Are there any places of stillness, where you can stand, like a tree, and let the chaos be? You’ll find it worthwhile to create such a space for yourself, even if it’s only for five or ten minutes at a time.

Try it right now. Pause and take a few breaths deep into your abdomen. Exhale slowly. Close your eyes. Just be. Let time pass. Return naturally when you’re ready.

Make stillness a part of your morning routine. Fit in five minutes to just be still and listen. Sit with your coffee or tea, turn off the radio, and pause. Don’t worry about stopping your thoughts, but rather just let them swish by like snowflakes in the wind.

In the evening, after dinner, try another pause. Rest in stillness. What do you hear? What do you feel? How does this stillness differ from your morning pause? Like me, you might come up with a couple more things you need to do, or remember a call you need to return. Jot them down on a list if that helps your mind feel more free. Then return to your stillness practice.

Commit to these islands of stillness. Resolve to practice them each day for an entire week. Then re-evaluate. What have you learned? Have you started to hear the inner voices of your intuition? Do you feel more centered? Do these pauses transition into other practices, like doing a few yoga stretches or journaling about what you’ve discovered?

You are unique, and your experience of the stillness will be your own. Explore it. Savor it. Be still, like a tree. Give thanks for what you learn there.