Welcome,
And I hope that each one of you will come to find peace within yourself.
Today,
I want to talk a little bit about the idea of finding stillness.
When I say finding stillness,
I don't mean immobilizing yourself like a statue.
But our world today seems to value motion,
And action,
And success.
And it seems that people pride themselves on how busy they are.
How much they're getting done,
And how fast they have to travel from one spot to the next.
It seems like if you aren't rushing from here to there,
If you aren't consumed with frenzied activity,
That there must be something wrong with you.
And people work long hours.
They work nights,
And afternoons,
And weekends.
Many people have abandoned their vacations,
And they don't make the most of their time off.
And we all need time off.
We all need time to reset.
Time to relax.
Time to contemplate.
Time to be still.
And we have this technology that's all around us.
So you can get an email as soon as it arrives,
And sometimes you can even get it on your watch.
And we surround ourselves with technology.
So we are always connected.
And what we need are times when we can just be still.
By staying caught up with this frenzied push to do more things,
You miss the cues that your body sends you,
And that the world sends you,
That you can only hear when you are still.
Only when you find stillness can you hear the things you need to hear.
Only in stillness can you take time to contemplate the world around you,
The problems you may have,
And possibly the solutions you need.
When you find stillness,
It gives you an opportunity to watch all the frenzied things that float through your brain.
Learning to find stillness can help you to sleep.
It can help you to find new ideas.
It can help reduce stress.
It tells your body that it's time to slow down.
And it also helps keep you in the present moment.
I personally feel that stillness is a gift that you give yourself.
And again,
When I talk about stillness,
I don't mean that you have to sit like you're frozen in one place.
Because you can find stillness no matter what you're doing.
You just have to set your mind to the task of finding stillness.
I'll give an example.
You're getting ready to eat.
And rather than just sitting down and immediately beginning to shovel food into your mouth,
Take the time to smell the food.
Look at it.
Take it in with your eyes.
See how good it looks.
And as you take your first bite,
Think about it.
About the flavor.
About the taste.
Chew it thoughtfully.
Let your mind focus on the food.
Too often in our world today,
We're eating things and not even thinking about the food.
We're thinking about the next email we have to send or the next text message.
So finding stillness can be simply taking the few moments to appreciate your meal.
To enjoy it.
To savor it.
Chew your food and think about the textures and the flavors.
That is finding stillness.
Close your eyes now.
And let's get in touch with our breath.
It doesn't matter if you're sitting,
Lying down,
Or standing.
What matters is that you're comfortable.
We have nowhere to be and nothing to do in this moment.
This moment is for you.
This.
Here.
Now.
This moment is all there is.
First,
Let's scan our body and begin to relax.
Relax your face.
Unfurl your brow and unclench your jaw.
Relax your neck and shoulders,
The common places of tension in today's world.
Let your arms and hands relax.
Let go of any tension in your chest or belly.
And feel yourself getting heavier with each and every breath.
Relax your legs and your feet.
And as you begin to relax,
Let's focus even more on our breath.
Inhale slowly and then gently exhale.
Notice your breath as it flows in.
Notice where you feel it in your body.
A cool sensation as it comes in through your nose.
The movement of your chest and belly as the breath flows in and flows out.
We're going in search of stillness.
And we find it when we make ourselves aware of what's going on.
Listen to the world around you as you settle in.
Hear the sound of your breathing.
The call of the birds,
The bark of your dog,
The laughter of children.
Listen to the world around you.
And as you relax and get in touch with your breath,
Just bask in your surroundings.
That is finding stillness.
Continue to breathe at your normal pace and don't force anything.
Just let your breath move in and move out.
Let it flow like a river.
Sure and tranquil and calm.
Breathing in and breathing out.
Just one breath at a time.
Surrender to the world around you.
And know that this moment is precious and unique.
The past is gone and unchangeable.
And the future is just a construct of your mind.
It doesn't exist.
Now is all that matters.
You and your breath with the world all around you.
If you have thoughts,
Just observe them.
Like clouds,
Let them pass across your consciousness.
Just focus on your breath.
And let thoughts pass across and out again.
We're only concerned with our breath as it flows in and flows out.
If you hear sounds,
Just observe them as well.
There's no judgment in this moment.
Your breath moving slowly in and slowly out is all there is.
Being able to get in touch with the current of your breath can transform your life.
It can help you to deal with tension and insecurities.
And it can help you to stay more in the present moment.
Following the flow of your breath can help you to deal better with problems in your day.
Breathing in and breathing out.
Just one breath at a time.
Finding stillness really means taking time to think about what you're doing.
About what's going on.
About where you are.
About who you're with.
We could focus on all the things we may be missing now.
When you go for a walk,
Look at everything around you.
Smell the flowers and the air.
Listen to the world as you move through it.
Life is to be lived and to be appreciated.
Don't just cruise through your life.
But begin to make an effort to find the stillness that allows you to appreciate what's going on.
Whether it's eating a meal or going for a walk.
In this way,
We can come to really cherish and appreciate all the aspects of our lives.
Following our breath.
One breath at a time.
And as people who practice meditation and mindfulness,
You are in the best position to live more in the present moment.
You make the most of every day.
Take the time to see the beauty all around you.
To be thankful each day that you are here to experience all that life can offer.
The good and the bad without judgment.
Breathing in and breathing out.
Following your breath and knowing that forever is now.
That the only moment you can be sure of is this one.
And when you truly acknowledge the fact that we all have limited time,
You can begin to live your life more fully.
You can slow down and begin to appreciate things that you've overlooked before.
You can come to see loved ones and partners and children and pets in a new way.
When you live and have more times of stillness,
You can begin to prioritize and realize what's really important.
Think about that.
Now,
As we get ready to come to a close,
Open your eyes and come back into the room.
Being aware of each breath.
Being aware of the birds and the trees and the flowers in the yard and the needs of those around us.
By doing this as best we can,
By introducing stillness into our lives,
We can live our lives more fully.
Wiggle your fingers and toes and stretch and feel how good it is to be alive.
Notice how relaxed you feel.
This moment is the only moment we can be sure of.
It's the only moment that matters.
Remember again,
Forever is now.
The past can't be changed and the future doesn't exist.
This,
Here,
Now,
This is all you can be sure of.
Breathing in and breathing out,
One breath at a time.
Take the time to find stillness so you can appreciate your life more.
Now I want to leave you with the words of a poem called Each Moment is Precious by Patricia A.
Fleming.
I've quoted this poem before,
But I think it's especially relevant to the topic of stillness.
And here it is.
Live in the moment,
Just take it all in.
Pay attention to everything,
Right there and right then.
Don't let your mind wander to what's coming next.
Cherish this moment and give it your best.
Don't let tomorrow make you rush through today or too many great moments will just go to waste.
And the person you're with in that moment you share,
Give them all of your focus,
Be totally there.
Laugh till it hurts,
Let the tears drop.
Fill up each moment with all that you've got.
Don't miss the details,
The lesson is there.
Don't get complacent,
Stay sharp and aware.
It can take but a moment to change your life's path.
And once it ticks by,
There's no going back.
In just 60 seconds you may make a new friend or find your true love or see a life start or end.
You become who you are in those moments you live and the gross not in taking but in how much you give.
Life is just moments,
So precious and few.
Whether valued or squandered,
It's all up to you.
I hope this has been a beneficial and calming session and I hope that each one of you will continue to find peace within yourself and live your lives right here,
Right now.
Find your stillness in little moments throughout your day.
Till next time.
