The movement of Stillness

A moment with Stillness. 
As I sit with conscious attention near an open window, I become aware of Stillness. The sound of soft breezes gushing through the atmosphere. I hear the tree leaves rustle in response, as they appear dancing in mid-air, void of the branches that give them life. The shuffling leaves sound voluminous, like winds during a thunder storm against the backdrop of the glistening sunlight reflecting from their surfaces. The breeze, as a whirlwind orchestra, emanates sounds from afar. Then in juxtaposition, I sense pockets of space in the air — Stillness!

When we hear Stillness, we often conceptualize that to mean sitting in one place, void of movement or sound. When our mind accepts this definition, we believe there is nothing to experience. Our minds become closed to Stillness.

When introduced to another way of ‘seeing’ Stillness, we soften our possibilities. We experience Stillness in the Present Moment, as a palpable feeling of calm. It naturally invites us to release tension from our active minds, then extend this relaxation into our bodies.

However as we uncover Stillness, we find movement engaging at its deepest levels. The movement of Stillness resembles a breathing heartbeat, like an undercurrent of rhythmic patterns, almost hypnotic, with a sense of spaciousness. Even with the loudest sounds coming from our thoughts and environment, this movement of Stillness is never lost; it recedes in the background and the edges of our auras. Stillness always exists, while waiting for us to minimize our noisy minds and bring focused awareness. When this happens, we hear Stillness.

Why Stillness?
Stillness serves as our guide for understanding the Present Moment. Stillness is spaciousness, where we naturally relax into ourselves. As we engage our minds in thinking, these thoughts have the tendency to project us outward, where we become lost in the past or future. This creates anxiety because our bodies and minds have separated — our mind is in the world of perception, while our body remains in the here and now. In other words, Stillness serves as a bridge for our minds to connect with our physical bodies. As we increase our awareness to Stillness, this bridge dissolves because our minds and bodies take residence in the same place.

Relax in Stillness
Many people enjoy being in nature because Stillness is much easier to recognize there. Our bodies have an intrinsic way of connecting with Stillness without effort. Usually, it takes our minds a little longer to connect, but as our bodies release, our minds slowly follow. But, waiting to be physically in nature to enjoy this state of being is not an ideal way to live. What if, we don’t need to wait? What if we recognize Stillness surrounds us always? The only action needed is bringing attention to this space.

A good way to enter Stillness is taking a few minutes each day to focus on your breathing. Notice the movement of your breath as you inhale and exhale, pausing at the top and bottom of your breaths. When you do so, recognize a deepening, a slowing down. This allows relaxation in both mind and body. Then, listen fully – Alas, Stillness!