Stillness

We can inhabit stillness in many different ways.

There is the kind of stillness that feels rigid and restrictive, even constrictive. And the kind that feels spacious and expansive, even infinite.

You can be still on the outside but raging on the inside. Your body can be moving but you can have a core of inner stillness.

There is the kind where you are aware of your physical body, and the kind where you are not aware of it at all.

The kind that feels effortful and the kind that feels effortless.

The stillness where you are aware of the breath, and the stillness where you are aware of the life force that rides it.

The kind where you feel nothing and the kind where you feel everything.

The kind where you are completely distracted by your thoughts and emotions, and the kind where you can step back and clearly observe the contents of your mind.

There is the “I’m not supposed to move” kind and the “I never want to move” kind.

The kind that feels like a prison and the kind that feels like freedom.

And many, many more…

How can we move from a stillness that feels like stuckness to one that feels spacious? Soften.

Soften unnecessary physical tension, soften our effort, cultivate healthy breathing (smooth, even, seamless, effortlessly full and silent). Acknowledge the different kinds and ask what message they have for us. Soften our attachments and expectations. Accept that progress is not linear. There are many ways...