Finding Stillness, Part 1

Finding Stillness, Part 1

“A stillness descended and there, in the midst of the storm the heart whispered, ‘peace’…” -- Kate Mullane Robertson

   

     We live in a noisy world.

     We are surrounded by a seemingly endless cacophony of sound – car horns honking; the rush of heavy traffic; airplanes; radios blaring; cell phones ringing (always ringing, it seems, in the most inappropriate places and at the most inconvenient time but we always need to answer, don’t we?); the television droning on even when we aren’t watching; babies crying; sirens; construction; conversations every place we go – some muted, some quite heated.

     It seems there is no escape from the racket.

     But “noise” can be internal as well: we can’t sit still; we must constantly be doing something, anything; we fidget; we tap our foot impatiently; "I have to go to the gym" … "pick up the kids" … "oh no, I’m late for school" … "work, work, work" … "I have a meeting" … "late for dinner" … "have to get to my appointment" … "no time to eat, gotta go, gotta go, gotta go".

     “Noise” also means that our minds never stop running; they, too, must be forever occupied … worries about homework … bills to be paid … work … school … non-stop email … instant message requests … Facebook and Twitter updates … constant texting … mindless “reality” television …interruptions of all manner and form.

     It seems we are almost afraid of silence, or, at the very least, we appear to be extremely uncomfortable with it.

     
     When the noise of the world becomes a dull roar that pervades every second of your life, a rush of activity, a drain on your energy, a pull on your attention, you find that you no longer have the energy to pay attention or take action.

     In a sense, this noise, this unceasing, chattering demand for our attention is an illness that leaves us stressed, depressed, overweight, burnt out and sick at heart.

    Deep down, we are aware that something is missing, because despite the constant commotion, our Spirits are empty and unfulfilled. We yearn for peace.

     The solution is simple: Pause. Be still.

     Take a moment – even two minutes -- out of your busy day to pause in the middle of all you are doing, all that is happening around you. Close your eyes, and sit still. Breathe in, and breathe out, and pay attention to your breath as it comes in and goes out.

     Just. Sit. Still.

     Sitting still like this, just breathing, will be difficult at first, especially for those of us who labor under intense schedules, or attach importance to always be “doing”. In fact, to those people, this stillness might seem like inaction, a waste of time, unproductive -- which we are taught is a bad thing. We have been lead to believe that such stillness is a mark of laziness.

      And yet, simple stillness, sitting in silence, can have a profound effect on our world.

    
     At the very least, it calms us, providing a small oasis of quiet that allows us to hear our thoughts, that allows us to catch our breath, that gives us room to breathe at all. 

     It is the antidote to the stress and rush we feel daily.