How often do you find stillness in your day?
With all the busyness we engage in,
It can be difficult to recognize the moments to just be.
I invite you to close your eyes if it's comfortable and start to notice your breath,
Not changing it in any way.
Just paying attention to it on purpose.
And as you breathe,
You may notice that each breath has a beginning,
A middle,
And a next.
And if the inhale is considered the beginning,
Then the exhale is considered the end.
The pause in between the two represents the middle.
It's also clearly a still point where there's no action underway.
A microsecond of stillness that happens over and over and over throughout the day without our recognition.
Oftentimes if we are agitated and our breathing is shallow or short,
If it's quickened,
We may notice or recognize the lack of that still point.
But seldom do we realize its presence in the moment.
Breathing now,
Seeing if you can put your focus on that moment of pause or stillness between your inhale and your exhale.
Giving yourself permission to enjoy those microseconds of stillness.
To lean into them,
To be nourished by them,
To be witness to them.
You may even notice the stillness within my words.
The space between sentences,
The microseconds between words.
A momentary pause of stillness.
Again,
That often goes unrecognized in our daily life,
Even as we ourselves are speaking.
Oftentimes we rush to fill the silence or the pauses to continue doing,
Producing,
Making.
As if it would all fall down if we paused.
Why not consider opening ourselves fully to the stillness,
No matter how small.
Giving ourselves that moment of rest,
That moment of peace,
Recognizing that it's built into our day for a reason.
Where else can you invite additional moments of stillness?
Maybe right before you get out of bed.
Or as you drift off to sleep.
Is there an opportunity to turn life off and let things be?
Soaking in the stillness.
As Rumi once said,
Listen,
Silence isn't empty.
It is full of the answers.
We open ourselves to the stillness and listen.
We can hear them.
Continuing to breathe in and out through the nose at a normal pace.
Noting those moments of still point between the inhale and the exhale.
Relishing in the pause between my words.
And fully feeling that sense of stillness in your body.
Whenever you're ready.
Taking three more deep breaths here with an audible sigh.
Last one.
Whenever you're ready,
I invite you to open your eyes.
