Finding Stillness, Part 2

Finding Stillness, Part 2

The Chinese symbols to the left may be translated as quiet, peaceful, calm, stillness, comfort. 

As we discover the stillness within, we recognize the calming effect it has on our mind, body and spirit.

But stillness may have a calming effect on the world around us as well. By becoming still, we may cause others to pause, to pay attention; our quiet also quiets others. We set the mood for those who work and train and interact with us.

We lead by example. 

When we rush and set a hectic pace – at work, in school, at home, on the mat in Martial Arts class -- others become stressed in an effort to keep up. For example, if we hurry our way through a technique -- especially when we are first learning it -- our partners may become frustrated as they attempt to work with us. Some people, some students, are more concerned about "what comes next" than they are about what they are working on Now; that is how mistakes are made, how tempers flare, and how, sometimes, people get hurt. 

Stillness has the opposite effect. It slows the world down, allows us to focus, gives us time for contemplation, for what matters most.

There are those among us who will claim, “I can't slow down; too many things depend on my attention.” Those are the people most in need of stillness and quiet. Because, eventually, all of those things pulling at our attention tend to cause us to burn out. Ever notice how some kids who are involved in everything -- piano lessons on Monday, soccer several times a week, art class  on Wednesday, rehearsing for the school play in the evening, gymnastics on the weekend -- oftentimes end up chucking it all and doing nothing? That is a cry for stillness. 

We don't always find stillness by sitting quietly ... although that is a wonderful method. Sometimes, though, we must access that small, quiet part of our Spirit while we are engaged in activities -- athletes call it "being in the zone"; when all external distractions fade away and all that is left is the present moment. Their bodies are moving, acting and reacting to the game, but their minds are quiet, calm, focused. Most of us have experienced such a feeling at one time or another -- students may feel it during a test that they feared, only to find that the answers flowed as easily as their own breath; nurses experience a form of stillness when they deal with a crisis; you may have known such a feeling when you flawlessly performed a technique at which you were previously frustrated. 

Being quiet, finding stillness, is such a simple thing, but it is not easy. It takes effort. It takes strength to be still when others rush, to not get caught up in, or wose, overwhelmed by the flow. It takes courage to be different, to go against the stream, to slow down while others are hurrying. Others might think us weird at first, but that is OK. Oftentimes, it is the people who are thought to be weird -- the eccentrics, the artists, the pioneers -- those who think differently, act differently who break out of the shackles of routine and make the most difference in their world, and in the world at large. 

While we may not always be able to sit in silent stillness, finding a few minutes for quiet contemplation can be as simple as getting up a few minutes earlier in the morning. Don’t do anything, don’t plan your day, don’t check email, don’t eat. Find a comfortable chair, or go outside, if possible, and just sit, and learn to be comfortable being still. Find a chair in your house, or on a front porch, or sit in the cool grass of your backyard. It can be a park bench, or the beach, or a path in the woods. Where ever you sit, let it be a ritual that you look forward to. 

Then just sit ... and breathe. Eyes closed or open ... it doesn't matter. As thoughts arise (and they will!) simply let them slip away. Listen to the sounds of the morning world -- birds singing, the breeze as it rustles the leaves of the trees, even the sound of traffic in the distance. Pay attention to the smells -- the soil, the air.

Gradually, as you become quieter you will be more aware than ever before of all that is going on around you. You will realize that, at any time, you can become an island of calm in a sea of activity. 

With practice, comfort will come. If mornings are no good, find another time that works for you -- during your lunch break, after work or school, just before you go to bed, or arrive for your Martial Arts class 5-10 minutes early and sit quietly ... even if others around you are not. The actual time that you choose doesn't matter -- what you do with it, or don't do with it does. 

From this small place of stillness soothing calm will radiate to the rest of your day. You will learn to find little pockets of stillness everywhere: when you first start your work or school day, when you are ready to sit down and create, when you’re about to eat, when you are ready to take to the mats in class, during a meeting ... any time. 

Practice, regularly. That is the key. You cannot try it once, then say, "Well it doesn't work for me!"

Like any kick or punch, any throw or grappling technique, you must practice it over and over, until it becomes part of you.

Practice, and learn.

Practice stillness, even -- perhaps especially -- when you don't want to.