Sitting in Stillness
With our daily routines being disrupted, does anyone else find themselves being bombarded with more ways to be more productive? It's quite easy to get wrapped up in ways to keep busy and rush from task to task. I know I have found myself bumping into walls, running around in circles (literally) and dropping things, which is always a reminder to slow down.
There is pressure (internal and external) to recreate ourselves and discover new passions. To start that business you’ve always wanted to, or take an online course you’ve never had the time to do. Learn a new language, or pick up that guitar sitting in the corner of the room that you rarely make time to practice.
This is understandable, as there is also a sense of excitement and inspiration. Creative energy that may actually be the result of the world slowing down. More time and space which has been gifted to so many of us right now. Anyone else experience this feeling post meditation, or when you're out for a walk smelling the roses?
What would happen if we actually took this opportunity and created more space to sit still? If there were silent moments throughout our day that weren’t filled with consuming social media or news updates? If we slowed down and tuned into the messages our own bodies were giving us? I decided to give it a try.
During morning yoga, I practiced in silence, rather than searching for a perfectly curated playlist. It was beautiful. I was able to connect to my body and breath and flow without the worry of being in sync to the beat of anything other than my own heart.
My work for the day was painting a fence, and rather than worry about how quickly I was going to finish, I chose to slow down and tune into the motions of the paint brush and the fresh look of the paint as it soaked into the wood. What I normally would have considered to be a dull and boring job suddenly became a moving meditation. And the fence probably looked better in the end too.
The evening was spent doing at home facials and listening to a guided meditation (check out Insight Timer as a resource if you’re interested in exploring guided meditations) with my flatmates. Choosing to go to my room an hour before falling asleep and focus on my breath, and journaling what I was grateful for, instead of looking at a screen.
It was such a lovely day. A day full of simple moments and connecting with myself and others. What may be described as being in the flow, or living in the present moment. One that made me hope we don’t look back on these times and regret not taking more opportunities to embrace the silent moments. To slow down. To be still.