I like the feeling of movement. I like to do, to accomplish things. It makes me feel useful, valid even. I used to be much more of a “doer” than I am now. Now, I am much more of a “be-er”, now that I have found the benefit of stillness.
It’s such a paradox that in stillness I find I receive much more valuable information and clarity than in my mindless doing. Paradox can be defined as “a seemingly absurd or self-contradictory statement or proposition that when investigated or explained may prove to be well founded or true”. Curious.
How can being still provide us with so much valuable information? Well, in stillness we are pretty much mindless. Empty. And we find ourselves in what is referred to as the “receiving mode.” We are not thinking thoughts, we are just mindlessly sitting. This takes some practice and discipline for sure. The idea is that we practice not controlling our thoughts as much as observing them and letting them pass through us until perhaps there is no thought at all- stillness.
Interestingly enough this is when clarity happens, brilliance even. A solution to a problem comes, or we get a really good idea, or become clear about something. Those aha! moments happen with more regularity. One of the many benefits of a regular meditation practice.
For me, it’s almost the same feeling I get out in nature, alone. My mind seems to let loose of all the gazillions of thoughts and worries and judgements and opinions I may have about things, and I just “BE.”
Alas, I can’t always be out in nature alone. There is stuff to do, obligations, responsibilities. So, I sit, every morning, and wait for stillness to happen. For inspiration. Then I can go do with more clarity, more confidence, and much less stress and anxiety as I am not running around allowing my mind to just go rampant often resulting in running into one obstacle after another.
~Stillness is truly a Blessing!~