#05 - How I Cultivate Stillness

Some beautiful "Florida" style clouds, looking North in North Hollywood!

Hello my friends! It's been a while! I hope you've been enjoying the start of the New Year!

I've recently been considering the importance of creating a time for stillness in my daily routine, and I wanted to share my thoughts on it with you, here they are!

Before we begin, note on my spirituality: In this entry, I refer to God and the Holy Spirit a few times, so I'd like to take a moment to share some context as well as pathways for interpreting and engaging with what I've written. For your reference & context, I believe in God, and in the beauty of how He cares for me and wants to be involved in my life. I feel that He also feels the same way for all of us, and that one of the most beautiful things we can experience in this life is a relationship with Him, with the Divine. (I will share more of my views on God in an additional post soon :)). I was raised in a household that has always been supportive of our exploration and encouraged expansive and inclusive approaches to spirituality and faith. In this current chapter, I've been enjoying connecting with God from a Christian lens, and from the belief that we can directly access Him in every moment. I respect and honor the personal beliefs you may hold. Please feel free to interchange the word God, Holy Spirit, Jesus with whatever fits your personal lens of comfort and experience. Some examples can be Creator, Universe, The Divine etc. Ultimately, I want to share this context in hopes that what I share can benefit you and help you experience fulfillment in life. Phew, thank you for taking that in! Now, to my thoughts on stillness!

I have as of late, experienced overwhelm, discouragement, a bit of sadness and a number of other emotions I would rather not feel. I can safely attribute the advent of these emotions directly to my lack of stillness at the end of the day. The rise in these negative emotions and resulting narratives also correlates with working nonstop/being on the go, from one thing to the next, and not taking time to allow my heart, mind, spirit to rest, reflect, and process what I have experienced, not even to express gratitude and sit with the lessons all of this activity brings. I believe that taking the time to reflect, be still, listen to the tuggings on the heart, allow space for the Divine to guide, heal, inspire us, is crucial to a fulfilled life. Here is my personal guide to stillness, why it's important, and how I cultivate it:

When your heart is heavy, and your mind won’t be quiet, honor the call to stillness.

When your joy is jumping, and you heart is racing, let it come back to the stillness.

The stillness holds everything we need.

Sometimes it offers consolation, reprieve, rest and recovery.

Other times it offers a space for gratitude, acknowledgment, realization and fulfillment.

In life, we often get to running and going, moving and not resting, not reflecting, not taking a moment to slow down… to reconsider what really matters, why am I chasing what I’m chasing, what do I already have that no one can take away from me?

I know that this constant busy-ness can lead me astray and away. Away from the truth that life and God offers us. The truth that I am enough, that I am worthy, that I am loved, safe and right on time. The truth that we have so much to offer, and that we don't have to face it all on our own, or do it all right now.

Doing more, without taking a moments to pause, rest, and reflect, can lead to challenges, can lead to losing awareness of what we are really here for, and who we really are.

All that awareness can come back in the stillness, in the quiet. This stillness is a place for prayer and quiet contemplation. In this space, we have the opportunity to reflect on how blessed we are, how we are not alone, how loved we are, even if only by God.

You can set off from the stillness back into the world, into the fray, into the inevitable ups and downs and life, but you will do so with a grounded knowing. You’ll have an experience of intimacy with your heart and soul, with the truth, with perspective and courage, courage to try again, to regroup and set out again upon the path of your dreams and ultimate purpose.

This happens in the stillness. Guard your stillness, guard your mind and heart. You are its caretaker.

If you’re ever feeling lost.

Step 1: get out of that environment, literally. Move your body, breathe some fresh air, get some good sleep, “Go on and have a good cry”. This will release and catalyze the pent-uppedness of hard to label, hard to comprehend emotion.

Step 2: Remember you are alright. Actively recall it. Speak it aloud. “I am safe, I am loved, I am worthy, God is with me” You can add any other kind reminder you need to personally hear. :)

Step 3: Decide and commit to a time during the day when you’ll be still. I prefer the evenings. This practice calms my heart and mind, and I believe I get to ruminate and dream about what I experience, while I sleep.

Stillness = turn off your phone, turn off any distractions, maybe play a little relaxing music, maybe not! You’re welcome to pull out a journal to express yourself if anything comes, and it very well may. I believe that this is a time to be with all of you, all the things that make you who you are. Your joys and disappointments, hopes & dreams. If you have a bone to pick or a matter to settle with God, this is the time too.

Speaking of God, there exists a beautiful opportunity in this stillness to invite Him into the space with you. Invite your Creator to guide you through this time. Invite your heart and mind to open, invite God into the process of resting with you. Ask the Holy Spirit to lead you to where God intends for you to go during this time of healing and wholeness.

At times during this practice, you can ask for what you need, say what’s been on your heart & mind, you can open up a can of worms and sort it out with God.

Other times, it may feel like God is leading you to listen to what he has to say. Listening to him doesn’t have to come with an answer from Him. Sometimes listening to God is choosing to listen to His silence instead of listening to your mind, and all of the things that my keep it from stillness.

The invitation is to focus on Him, and open up your heart and mind to him through a simple offering. “I am here, I am yours, I am listening. Guide me Holy Spirit, to and through this stillness with you. Show me what you want me to see, open me up to what you want to hear from me.

Stillness. I believe this Stillness is a great aid in our journey towards fulfillment and peace.

The stillness will be a ride, some nights more active than the others. But it is always a safe space when you invite God into it with you. And you will always arrive to the destination that is intended for you, when you let the Holy Spirit lead you through.