Finding Fulfilment through Stillness

I’m a fast walker (it’s my natural gait) and a slow eater (I enjoy savouring my meals). You could say I have a balanced approach. In saying that, I have been asked to stop power walking through a pristine rainforest and slow down while on holiday.

Even with my quick strides, I still take notice of everything that surrounds me. Every moment I inhale reconnects me to myself and the natural elements.

Nature is both grounding and invigorating. It’s my soul nourishment.  

But I am realising more and more that I need to slow down — way down — in all areas of life.

To achieve more, I need to do less.

My Grown-Up Gap Year

Admittedly, slowing down has been a somewhat challenging concept to grasp, especially since I thought I had the whole work-life balance down pat. On the surface I appear even-tempered, and for the most part I am.

At the same time, I’m a creative doer with a ton of ideas and perseverance.          

What’s more, I meditate and do some yoga and/or pranayama (breathwork) daily. I mostly write from home with a spotty pooch near my feet. I also walk often, am an avid reader, and eat clean, fresh and green.  

But this year has felt like the life I have known and/or have been working towards has been thrown into neutral. Instead, I’ve had a grown-up gap year of sorts: the kind that has taken me on a profound inner journey — an inner retreat.

My grown-up gap year has been a deep dive into utilising my personal development toolbox for healing, especially after having an autoimmune disease.

More than that, it’s tuning in to and wholeheartedly trusting myself and my abilities.

How?

Mostly through regular periods of stillness.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Moments of stillness: The Berry Garden, Maleny.

Finding Flow through Stillness

Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu wrote: “Be still like a great mountain and flow like a great river.”

So when I say stillness, I don’t mean lying in bed swiping your tablet or smartphone, nor sitting in a chair and staring into a laptop screen until your mind and bum become numb.

Stillness, for me, is now a simplistic mix of:

• Taking longer, deeper and more conscious breaths.
• Taking a moment to set an intention, be it for my day, a project or an activity.
• Tuning in to natural sounds, from the melodious call of currawongs to the laughter of kookaburras, as well as pure sound meditations.
• Yoga Nidra, the ancient, effortless and deeply relaxing yogic or psychic sleep state. It’s sometimes described as the lying down version of meditation.
• Sitting outside (hammocks are a bonus) and sipping a warm, not cold, mug of organic herbal tea for at least five minutes. What’s more, allowing tea to brew in a pot or plunger beforehand enhances the sense of mindfulness. For me, it’s like a mini tea ritual.
• Journaling — simply allowing thoughts, no matter how random, to pour onto the page.
• Expressing more gratitude for what I have here and now, as well as for what’s coming into my life.
• Not speaking to anyone for at least 30 minutes after rising in the morning (unless I need to), instead focusing on my intention for the day, followed by breathwork and meditation.
• Relaxing in a body of water, be it a warm bath, a saltwater pool or the sea.
• Reading an enlightening book that I’m completely immersed in. And yes, I still prefer a printed book.
• Walking in green spaces and/or nature, especially in time to stop and watch the sunset.

Getting Real About Being Still

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stillness is a novel concept, particularly given our expected way of doing in modern society. But most people won’t take the time to stop because they feel out of sorts, feel guilty they aren’t doing enough, or are fearful of what may come up.

Their mind might go into overdrive with all manner of thoughts, let alone feelings. They may even recall something uncomfortable that was stuffed down or covered in layers of busyness.

That’s because too often emotions are suppressed, usually put on hold to be dealt with later, until they start gnawing at us. Sometimes we are forced to slow down, even stop, through physical illness, mental health issues or spiritual emergency.

Although the idea of stillness is to be present, become realigned and achieve equipoise, frankly, I’ve confronted some deeply embedded fears head on.

And by fear, I’m talking about being absolutely terrified of stepping out of my own way and showing up in my truest and best version of myself so that I can help others on a larger scale. 

This year, I’ve had a mix of mild anxiety and literally been frozen with fear. Interestingly the latter presented as a frozen shoulder. (I’m totally into Annette Noontil’s book, The Body is the Barometer of the Soul. I’m also a big fan of renowned intuitive and author Caroline Myss.)

Through stillness, particularly meditation and breathwork, the layers have been peeled back and I have been utterly raw with the dense emotion that has come to the fore.

Some days it’s hazy, but mostly I get crystal-clear clarity.      

The truth is, I have been feeling stuck. I have been living too small.

 

 

 

 

 

Tuning In To Our True Nature

Doing less and being still doesn’t mean we are doing nothing. In fact, it’s helping us align with the greater flow of life.

By observing, reflecting and feeling through what comes up, stillness allows us to learn as much as we can about ourselves. It allows us to connect with our inherent self; our heart and our soul.

I’m not saying it’s easy to do, but once you start doing it, stillness becomes natural. It enhances our overall wellbeing.

I’ve found the real value of being still is putting myself first, taking time for self-care and self-love. It’s seeing me for me, warts and all, and confronting what needs to be confronted in the best way possible. I guess you could say it’s a purging of sorts.

Stillness is a time for integration and helps reinforce the creation of healthy boundaries.

The best part of being still is that’s when our answers come from within, especially when there is no expectation or attachment to an outcome. We stop forcing or trying too hard to make things happen. Instead, we are in the moment, breathing through it, simply observing it here and now.

I know that stillness refines my intuition, hence the next best step or direction I need to take. Basically, it upgrades my inner GPS.

The thing is, we all need to slow down and tune in to ourselves so that our thoughts, intentions and actions actually come from within. That way, we start to see, feel and express our true nature; our very essence.

Through stillness, we become the best we can be. We start to accept and embrace every aspect of our humanness.

 

 

 

 

 

 

How do you take the time to be still?

Post & Images by Kristin Lee

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