The Art Of Softening

There is an old English word, stillan, which means to grow calm. To settle. To soften.

In this short spoken word offering, we explore that gentle art. The kind of settling that happens naturally, like water finding its own level.

An invitation to let what feels restless ease in its own time. To notice the subtle shift in breath, in the jaw, in the tide beneath your ribs.

A quiet pause in the day.

A space to return.

Transcript

There is an old word,

Stillen,

To grow calm of the sea,

To soften,

Of the soul,

To rest.

Not the kind of silence that shuts something down,

Not the kind that swallows sound,

But the way water settles after wind has moved through it.

The art of noticing begins here,

When you pause long enough to feel your own breath without trying to change it,

When your shoulder's lower because no one is asking anything of you,

When light moves across the floor and you actually see it,

Stillen,

To soothe,

To be quiet,

To let what is restless find its own level.

Notice what happens in your body when you stop pushing the moment away,

The tide inside your ribs eases,

Your jaw softens,

Your hands remember,

They can open,

Nothing grand occurs,

The world does not rearrange itself and yet something does,

You return,

Of the sky after storm to clear,

Of the soul,

To be at peace,

Perhaps this is enough,

Not to force stillness,

But to recognize how often it is already finding you.

Reviews

I'm enjoying your work so thoroughly. I've shared you with my elderly mother and she finds your voice, whether speaking or singing, quite beautiful and soothing too, along with your words and instrumentals. 🙏 for the joy you bring to us.

As someone who connects mostly through visuals, I'm enjoying the spoken word of your tracks
Thank you for your creative expression that helps me connect deeply in a different way that I'm not used to 🙏🏻💫

Here I am and recommend this to everyone. You work is beautiful as always. I am grateful we have met. Thank you for all you do. Much love and peace.

Where stillan is allowed, poetry awakens - beautiful 👐🏻✨

Thank you for the beautiful words to soften by, Niamh. Namaste...🙏🏻