Art of stillness

Have you ever watched a mosquito that seems to have gone berserk in flight Zooming around aimlessly and refusing to settle in one spot, you feel it could do with some stillness just so that it can feast on you (and you can try zapping it).

Extending the mosquito analogy a bit, that is exactly how some of us are when life gets the better of us. Our thoughts dart from here to there, our minds are continually restless and it shows in our bodies and translates into words and action. Much energy that could otherwise have been spent constructively and in addressing the issues at hand is frittered away and dissipated in the process.

I know a person who fits this to a T. He can never come to the point and is so muddled that his thoughts are all over the place. He wastes his time on irrelevant activities that entail driving himself in peak hour traffic to random locations. Talking to him over the phone is best avoided and it is the listener who feels drained at the end of it all.

Contrast this with the tortoise among the longest-lived species that conserves energy by completely withdrawing its senses and shutting out all stimulants when needed, except when it has to defend and protect itself.

While restlessness of the spirit is good when we are on a search or on a growth path or creative curve, stillness is what lends depth, meaning and true enlightenment. Stillness is not only about being physically still it is also about stilling the mind.

Patanjali famously described yoga as something that it is removal of the fluctuations of the mind. There are some for whom the idea of sitting still in one place and disengaging with one’s thoughts does not hold any appeal. They mistakenly believe that it is a waste of time — busyness being looked upon as a sign of success. For such folks, it is a good idea to engage in demanding physical activity — a good run or a long walk or a strenuous workout to burn up that pent up energy while throwing in activities (like stopping by at naturally scenic spots — staring at trees that are strong, silent and still or looking into the placid waters of a lake or gazing at awe-inspiring mountains) to cultivate stillness.

The physical activity facilitates the kicking in of feel good hormones and the taking time to stop and stare prepares the ground for inner peace. Even if one is not very kicked about meditation, one can merely watch the breath and see how it is flowing — whether it is long, smooth and even or jerky and shallow. Looking out for tense spots in the body that one can breathe into and dissolve are all things that one can do to cultivate stillness.

Silence and stillness go hand in hand as does the shutting out of all outside stimulants — noise, distracting visuals, of which there is no dearth today, thanks to technology and social media. As Eckhart Tolle said, “Being still, looking and listening, cultivates our non-conceptual understanding. Stillness is intelligence itself — the underlying consciousness out of which every form is born.”

The writer is a Reiki channel, yoga practitioner and a spiritual seeker