It is as important to cultivate your silence power as it is your word power.
William James, psychologist, philosopher, writer
Autumn is both the start of some things and the ends of others: holidays and harvest for some, the brilliant color of leaves and transition to less light for others.
Each new year for many years, I have set myself the challenge of picking from one to three values that would make me happy to live and manifest both toward others and myself. I am committed to increasing my stillness and silence this year. It requires more practice than ever. As the outside world grows more insanely noisy, we have to find serenity in sanity.
Thich Nhat Hanh’s mindfulness meditation teaching, which I talk about a lot, says that ‘stillness power’ leads to the silence we seek in the mind. For mindfulness purposes and keeping things simple, his powerful teaching about body stillness, which leads to a stiller mind, makes sense. In order to find conscious presence, well-being, and joy, we must still the body first.
It doesn’t need to be complicated. Those of us who practice meditation know what to do. For those who don’t and want to experience the healthy benefits, it literally just means STOP. When aware of agitation, discomfort, challenges, dissatisfaction, we simply quiet the body. We can sit down or stand or lie where we are. We take stock. We breathe consciously for one to three quiet unforced breaths, eyes open or closed. This is a way to recalibrate our mind, body and spirit.
This mindfulness meditation works on the grocery line, waiting for the kids at school, rushing to make that doc appointment, tending to a very needy person, or in a crunch at work. We can remind ourselves what James also said.
It is our attitude at the beginning of a difficult task which, more than anything else, will affect its successful outcome.
William James
Cherish some much-needed attitude of silent stillness this week.