Stillness

“But the self-controlled man, moving among objects with his senses under restraint, and free from both attraction and repulsion, attains peace.”
- Swami Chinmayananda

Stillness is marked by a physical and mental state of deep silence and tranquility. It is achieved only in the present moment—when we cease to move, undisturbed by words, thoughts, people, etc. When we become still, be discover who we really are, aside from the identities that society tells us we should adopt. Siddhartha stated that, “…Within you there is a stillness and a sanctuary to which you can retreat at any time and be yourself...”



Why Stillness is so Important


I think that we’d all agree that some degree of inner peace is necessary to function without losing our sanity. There are just so many things we have to think about, which lead to stress—work, school, relationships, and world issues. Peace is a direct result of stillness—you cannot obtain peace from an inner state of chaos. According to a well quoted study by the National Science Foundation several years ago, humans experience over 50,000 thoughts each day—that’s over 2,000 thoughts per hour and roughly 35 per minute! With so much on our minds, it is easy to overlook our daily need for stillness—as a result we end up with a peace deficit, and that spills over into everything we touch. Furthermore, most of the thoughts we have aren’t even what we desire to spend the most time focused on—they’re just passing through, and we give them so much of our energy. So many look forward to retirement as the time when they can finally explore the meaning of tranquility because they’re too busy to do that now. When I was younger, I stressed about the outcome of my future at times, but mother would always remind me that tomorrow wasn’t promised to anyone. I understood that if I didn’t take interest in the present moment, all that was left to rely on was possibility. Possibility has a valid place in everyone’s life, but alone it’s too unstable to build our entire foundation on—relying on the present moment is the only stability we have because it is our reality. A few symptoms of relying too much on possibility are: stress, fatigue, unjustified anger, lack of gratitude, impatience, unhappiness, depression, guilt, neglect of self, and deterioration of our relationships. Yes, it’s important to dream and to work towards a goal, but not at the expense of your life. Life resides in the present moment—it’s precious and should never be taken for granted. No matter how busy we are, we must make time for a few silent moments to be still each day—your wellness depends on it. So consider where you and your inner peace rank on your list of priorities. In order to see positive changes throughout the world, we must first change ourselves—lead by example. Practicing stillness quiets the mind, helps us to experience our natural state of inner peace, and embrace the essence of liberation. If the majority of people around the world embodied stillness and peace, how might that affect public relations? In the words of Robert Adams, “There is only one decision you need to make; either you are working at your freedom or you are accepting your bondage.”


Achievement Through Meditation

Everyone is different, and so your methods of achieving stillness should reflect your personality. A commonly used method is meditation—a process defined by you based on your personal needs. There are various forms of meditation based on personal preferences, and desired results: moving meditations such as yoga and walking, prayer for spiritual needs, and guided meditations just to name a few. Meditation is simply holding a thought of something or someone in your mind, without diversion from that thought. It isn’t necessary to sit a certain way or chant anything—you can even lie down if that is most comfortable for you. Meditation isn’t forceful, it is gentle and subtle-- it allows your mind the space to settle on its own and in it’s own unique way. Many find it helpful to find a place where they won’t be disturbed for a while, take a few deep breaths, and just allow themselves to enjoy the calmness of the present moment. If you are flooded with thoughts and worries, just quietly remind yourself that is you moment to be still—you can resume your daily routine when this moment is over. You cannot live in the past or the future, you are alive right now and that is what’s most important. So just embrace that and allow the demands of daily life to rest briefly. If you can’t think of anything to focus on, consider your breath. There’s no specific way that you have to breathe, just take notice of the subtle, automatic process of breathing, and how every breath gives life. Breathing is a miracle that we often underestimate—simply placing your attention on it for a few minutes can help you to relax and become present. Also, soothing instrumental music or a warm bath can be really helpful to help you unwind. There is no specific time or duration that you have to meditate—do what feels most comfortable for you. If 5 minutes in the evening is all the time you have, that’s still better than not taking time for yourself at all, isn’t it? Lastly, guided meditations can be really helpful and cover a variety of topics. For free downloadable guided meditations podcasts in mp3 format, you can visit: Meditation Oasis. This is a great resource especially for beginners, and those on the go.

The most important thing to remember about meditation is that the bottom line is to learn how to become still. The idea is that the more you practice, the more you’ll notice and increase of peace in all areas of your life without further efforts!