Sailing – Christopher Cross- mobile
“Well, it’s not far down to paradise, at least it’s not for me
And if the wind is right you can sail away and find tranquility
Oh, the canvas can do miracles, just you wait and see” 💝
Stillness is a beautiful place we can all discover deep within. It doesn’t matter what is going on outside, how calm or chaotic. There are a multitude of ways to tap into that place. It can be through meditation, some activity like walking, sailing, listening to music, coloring…
I think it’s important each day, at least once, to engage in the thing/s that are avenues to stillness, whatever it may be for us.
I find walking in a light rainy mist, certain songs, meditation, listening to the sound of rain, reading certain quotes and things are all great ways to tap into that place of stillness within me. Also, just sitting and intentionally stilling my mind, focusing on each breath in & out is a great way to find stillness. Distractions are OK, loud noises, phones ringing, yelling and talking going on outside…are all great opportunities to practice focusing the mind within, even with chaos or distractions going on in our physical environment.
My city, Philadelphia, is a busy city. It is alive at night and full of people laughing, yelling, arguing, chatting, sometimes playing instruments, cars screeching and beeping, lights, police cars and ambulances, construction work, protests and awareness walks…and meditation classes I attend some Thursday nights and on the weekends are in Center City Philadelphia where lots of action and noises take place. We are encouraged to silence our cellphones and keep quiet as possible during class but that doesn’t stop the clatter and drama and noise outside. But I see the outside distractions tempting us to lose focus on our inner world, as an amazing opportunity to truly strengthen our practice of maintaining inner stillness.
It’s like the saying “no one ever learns to be a great driver by driving along a perfectly straight road.”
If things outside are always quiet and peaceful our practice may not be as strong. In this life, no matter how peaceful our outter environment generally is, most of us will still experience occasional annoyances, something that disturbs our composure at one point, losses, possibly trauma of some sort, some kind of pain, …anything that potentially provokes unsettling emotions in us.
When we practice generally keeping our minds still, we will be equipped with the necessary skills to handle life’s ups and downs in a healthy manner.
Distractions, loud noises, people acting in a rude manner…are all gifts that we can use to our advantage, to be great for others as well as our own self. When we are calm and loving, our energy is peaceful and touches others for the better.
Just taking a few minutes each day at home, work, walking…and focusing on the breath can do wonders for us. The results are amazing. It takes some practice and self discipline to develop the habit but is very well worth it.
We do not need some big, deep, time consuming meditation practice (although if we have one, that is wonderful!) To find stillness. Any activity we find calming that generates inner peace is great. And techniques can be incorporated into our mundane experiences in creative ways, brushing our teeth, showering, cleaning, eating…all are activities we have to each day that we can also use to practice calming techniques like breathing mindfully or other mindfulness activities, such as truly experiencing each sensation, the feel of the water on our skin, the bristles of our toothbrush in the mouth, the taste of our food, the texture…
I hope you have or soon find that thing or things that set you free no matter what is going on around you.
Much love, light, & stillness to you, always! 😀
Xoxo Kim ❤
