Try This At Home: Be Still
She called me out and I couldn’t deny it. “I don’t think you are being as still as you need to be.”
This statement was said to me by my acupuncturist who has known me for the past six years. Initially I was going every two weeks and over time it has moved to check up visits. Typically the visits are a few times a year when I am feeling out of balance. She knows me well in regards to my self care practices and sometimes my lack of self care practices. I had been sharing how I wasn’t sure about several things in my life and was feeling out of balance. Of course, during this time, it was the anniversary of my Mom’s death and I had been pushing myself. Basically I was in a constant state of emotion. A typical pattern of coping with everything in my life. Truthfully, I was not being still. Two and a half jobs, writing deadlines, cold winter weather and social commitments had taken away from moments of sitting with my journal or listening to nature. My foot was on the accelerator of life and I needed to put on the brakes. Needing to slow down was one reason I made the latest acupuncture appointment. I had no choice but to slow down and be still. I listened to my body as it relaxed from the needle points and slowed my breathing down. Taking this time allowed me to take stock of where my life was and listen to my inner voice. It is by slowing down that one can gain a better view of where to go next.
Today’s Try It At Home Tip is to attempt to be still in your own life.
Being still does not have to involve taking an hour out of your life. In fact, I encourage you to begin with 5 minutes. Examples of those 5 minutes can be:
- Taking 5 minutes to take deep breaths before racing out of bed.
- Holding the warmth of your coffee or tea cup and close your eyes before racing to your next task.
- Smelling the food that you are cooking or feeling the laundry as it comes out of the dryer.
- Taking a few minutes to sit in your car with the radio off before getting out and going into work.
- Stretching your body as you get up from your desk and feel where the tightness is present in your body.
Notice that I am not encouraging you to meditate (but you can if you want). Instead, I simply encourage you to stop the noise of your day and acknowledge where you are at. What are you feeling? Is your body aching or hurting? In the silence, is there something you have discovered that you have not fully acknowledged? As for me,the silence of being still does bring answers to my life. Being still does not allow time to run from the thoughts and feelings I may otherwise ignore.
Do you allow time to be still in your life? Will you take time this week to practice stillness?
This is so important for us to do. (I have a hard time sitting without fiddling with my phone or listening to a podcast or occupying those minutes with something else. Something to DO, something to learn). But, I know when I DO have moments disconnected or sitting in silence, it gives my brain the time to recover and be more creative in the long term!
I’ve often got into the trap of always doing something also. Our brains and bodies are always moving and it is so important to give it a break (even if it is for only a few minutes).
Such simple ways to be still – I am definitely going to try some of these, especially getting up from my desk at work. Or sitting in the quiet of the car. I think it will be good for me!
These are simple techniques that don’t take much time but can truly help us rebalance. Hope you try something today.
I love this Sheryl! I do catch myself sometimes stopping when I am in the middle of something to just listen. It sometimes feels like the most unnatural thing to be doing at that time, and then I simply remember that this is how it should be. I should stop and smell the rose from time to time. We often forget that. I hate being a ball of stress and when I do let my body relax is it quite heavenly!
Yes Trish!! It is all about stopping sometimes and simply listening. I’ve often kept pushing even when I knew my body was telling me something. Slowing down helps us recognize what we need (even when we don’t want to).
I love this Sheryl <3
You're right. Those five minutes can make a world of difference in our lives, and I love the one about the clothes out of the dryer. Inexplicably, whenever I take clothing out, I always like to hold it to my skin and breathe in the clean scent. It's a form of meditation, too, and can do wonders!
PS: I've always wanted to try acupuncture. Thanks for the reminder and glad your acupuncturist was able to notice something you perhaps didn't!
My acupuncturist simply knows me! It is certainly something I think everyone should try. I’m like you and love taking the clothes out…. We all just need to slow down.
I love this. I have never had acupuncture, but have always been a little curious about it. I think stretching your body as you get up from your desk is such a good ideas. Thanks for sharing.
I love acupuncture ( but haven’t done it in awhile). It was truly beneficial to me but sometimes I think it simply caused me to slow down and that is why it helped so much. Hope you find some of these helpful.
i dig these ideas, lady. thanks for posting. :]
So glad Jenn! Glad you stopped by.
This is a great suggestion. 5 minutes is totally doable. And I think the benefits will be tremendous over time. Thank you.
You’re welcome Mia. I think we tend to forget the benefit of just 5 minutes. We all have it, we just need to make sure we use it.
Love this! Stillness is something I need to embrace more often 🙂
I think we all do!
Great challenge. I struggle with stillness, but when i intentionally take time for it, I notice I feel a lot better. Thank you for the reminder. I will for sure be taking this challenge this week.
I struggle myself but also need to remind myself. Hoping you find a little stillness this week (and would love to know how it goes!)
This is great advice. I think it’s easy for people – especially these days – to be in a constant state of movement. I love moments of just rest.
-Lauren
http://www.shootingstarsmag.net
Great post – I needed this reminder! We get so caught up in rushing around we don’t realise how important stillness is.