Just Be.

Isn’t it strange how calm and peace can feel like sloth and laziness? We’ve been conditioned to feel like sitting for 60+ minutes doing nothing but immersing yourself in the moment and observing your surroundings is considered unproductive and therefore “bad.” Our society wants us to believe that we “should” be working, creating, and producing. But, really “being” is the BEST thing you can do for holistic well-being. Give yourself significant amounts of time to just exist - to just be. 

The art of “being” is something I’m attempting to master, rather than the act of “doing.” It’s not easy! Stillness is a Yin trait - a Divine feminine energy. What happens in stillness? Magic! That’s when healing occurs: physical, emotional, mental, spiritual. In stillness, we can regulate our nervous system. Through being, we can connect to the Universe (God) and stay true to our purpose. If you google, “benefits of stillness” you’ll see lists of mental and physical benefits to finding stillness within your life. 

Simply put, the observer in our mind is our soul and the relentless thinker is our ego. Awareness is accessed the more we lean into our observer and quiet the thinker. Find a restful position, which allows for the muscles in your body to totally relax - this is part of healing. Then allow the thoughts to come, but don’t “feed” them - just notice them. Almost like a news ticker at the bottom of the screen, see which thoughts come up and simply note, “that’s interesting.” Pull back to the breath, pull back to observation, embrace nothingness. 

What is stillness? I believe stillness can be broken down into two main “types” -

1. Experiencing reality

2. Embracing nothingness

Experiencing Reality

Quoted in a HIGHLY recommended book by Alan Watts, but originally said by Soren Kierkegaard:

“The mystery of life is not a problem to be solved, but a reality to be experienced.”

Put simply, humans think too much. We spend so much of our days thinking through our problems, often inventing them in the first place. How do we turn off our brains, stop solving our problems, halt inventing lists and to-do’s, and completely end the worrying and fear so that we can truly experience our reality? This is a bit unique for everyone. When are you able to turn off the chatter in your mind that can overthink or never quiet down? Think of activities you enjoy doing or times in your life when that voice was the most quiet. 

Typically, enthralling live events can keep you experiencing life rather than thinking through it. This could be going to a concert, movie, race, performance, anything that engages you in the present moment and keeps you from thinking (or looking at your phone!). I’ve found that immersing myself in nature can also result in turning off my “thinker” as I embrace the wonderment that comes with appreciating the gift of nature. Tap into your inner knowing, and think of moments when you naturally shut down your thinking voice, and write down the activities that keep you fully experiencing life.

How do we experience reality? Using our five senses! When you find yourself overthinking or building lists, or wanting to “do” rather than “be,” use your five senses to pull you back into the experience. Catch yourself overthinking and pull yourself back to the moment. I love using the Ram Dass phrase “be here now.” Then, start listing all the things you’re able to sense:

• What are all the things I can see?

• What am I hearing?

• Is there a taste in my mouth?

• What are the smells in my environment?

• Are there textures that I’m feeling with my fingertips and body? 

Tapping into our five senses allows us to fully experience all the things going on around us. Maybe you set aside 15 minutes a few times a day to simply list all the things you’re sensing so that you practice experiencing reality as it’s happening. Make it a practice! 

In a culture that pressures us to produce, to consume, to generate income, to busy ourselves, how do we embrace nothingness? In Henry David Thoreau’s book Walking he states:

“I think that I cannot preserve my health and spirits, unless I spend four hours a day at least —and it is commonly more than that— sauntering through the woods and over the hills and fields, absolutely free from all worldly engagements.”

Imagine setting aside four hours a day (at least!) to simply walk outside. When was the last time you walked for four hours? It’s hard to imagine fitting that much time into our busy schedules to enjoy nature even once, let alone each day! While walking isn’t technically stillness in our bodies, I believe taking your time walking through nature (not rushing through or treating it like exercise - trying to beat a certain time or split) and submerging ourselves in nature for that much time can certainly still the mind. If our goal is to turn off the thinker, and to embrace being, spending time outside is a great way to “be.”

This Fourth of July was my last 4+ hour hike. Even though I hike multiple times a week, very rarely is it for four hours or more.

Embracing Nothingness

But what about embracing total stillness? When was the last time you sat and simply observed your surroundings? Maybe you watched a sunset, or the birds fly around? Our bodies need rest. A well-rested body can help clue us in on what we’re really feeling and is a direct conduit for holistic healing. It’s hard to sit and do nothing! It’s hard not to feel guilty for being “unproductive.” I’m not talking about watching TV, or reading a book, or finally replying to those emails. I am talking about total stillness. 

Practice makes perfect! Sitting in total stillness will feel hard and uncomfortable at first, but it gets easier. Maybe you start with ten minutes and set a timer and allow yourself to just be. Then, you can add five minutes to your timer each week or a couple times per week until you’re sitting in stillness for an hour plus a day. This is a form of meditation, and the hope is to silence our thinker and get to know our observer. 

I give you permission to DO nothing. I give you permission to embrace stillness. Let go of the need to achieve and welcome in the potential to truly experience reality.

BE HERE NOW.