The power of stillness
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Peace, ©Nicole Bratt 2023
Dear ones,
The power of stillness.
I am willing to bet that just like me, all of you “get” it.
So, why do we resist/avoid/push it away/find it so hard to make a regular part of our lives?
I already know all my own answers (ie. excuses :); perhaps yours are similar. Not enough time. No space in my day. Important and urgent things to do. Dog needs a walk. Can’t keep up with email and homework, as it is! Etcetera…
This morning, I pondered if I really thought that I’m so all-important in my busyness that I can’t stop to sit for 15 minutes of my day – knowing the profound value that those quiet, embodied moments would not only offer me, but every single person and creature I interact with today.
That thought felt like a sobering lil’ lightning bolt.
Then it occurred to me – with a similar electric zap! – how selfish it is of me NOT to take that time! Yes, selfish! There is no downside: it will ripple out and benefit all things in my sphere, from the inside out.
So it’s my commitment and, in fact, responsibility to show up on my mat for even a few precious minutes.
Turns out, a little time for personal spaciousness goes a l-o-n-g way!
I know the profound gift of being still and listening deep. (As you know, I teach it!) But apparently I keep needing to remind/relearn, even so.
This, my friends, is a huge part of why I have so much love and compassion for all of us busy souls out there doing the best we can!
I am a busy human, too. I’ve got shit to do, too! I am fully engaged with Life, too. I love to savor so many delicious life experiences, too. I often embrace JOMO, but sometimes succumb to FOMO, too! I want to be a good human, too! But I, too, get overwhelmed, tired, cranky, confused, frazzled, and/or lost when I’m out of balance with my doing|being equation.
This is also why I’m such a dedicated nerd/advocate/evangelist about rest, stillness, and embodiment. I come to it again and again as an antidote to busyness, to jacked up nervous systems, to depression/anxiety/ hopelessness, to urban living, to the 24-hour news cycle, to modern life.
It’s like hitting a much-needed reset button.
It truly can make our world a kinder place, one person at a time, one breath at a time, one moment at a time, from the inside out.
May you find a few precious moments of stillness today,
Nicole
PS. YES! You can still donate to my Yoga Behind Bars fundraiser! Thank you thank you thank you to those who’ve already contributed – you’ve helped me soar beyond my original goal of $500. I’m in awe of you beautiful people! Donate here
PPS. I’m about to depart for a bonafide vacation to points Southeast. I am teaching this Wednesday evening at 7:30p PDT (in-studio and online), and then will be away for two weeks. I look forward to seeing your sweet faces upon my return in April. (I will be back to my regular teaching schedule April 5!)
