Still. Will you sit in the stillness with me?
plus my favourite things to do to create stillness in my life. This is part 3 in an exploration of my Substack name Soft. Simple. STILL.
Oh, how she longed to be still
to be quiet in her mind
to be calm in her body.
Oh, how she longed to be still
to be quiet in the subtle
to be silent in the sounds.
Oh,
how she longed to be still
to be in the quiet
to be in the calm
to be,
beyond
the now..
Stillness.
In a world that is busy,
what does that look like
in a world that has lights and sounds and movement
what does that feel like?
Stillness.
In a world that demands
that creates
that expects
what does that look like?
Stillness.
In a world that never turns off
and constantly produces
what does that look like?
Stillness.
What really does that look like,
for your heart
for your mind
for your life?
Stillness.
My dearest one,
I have been exploring the name of my Substack publication - Soft. Simple. Still. If this is your first time here, welcome! The kettle has been poured and I am so excited you stopped by to sit with me in the stillness. I do hope you will return here over and over again for some more SOFT. SIMPLE. STILL moments.
Over the past couple of weeks I wrote about how Living a Soft Life and Living a Simple Life. Today I would like to explore what STILLNESS is and how to create STILLNESS IN YOUR LIFE.
Stillness.
To be still.
Very.
Very.
Still.
Still in mind and body and soul.
To know, for this moment in time, that everything inside of you is profoundly calm, deeply content and tangibly quiet.
I have some questions for you to ponder before I write some more. Please do take a moment with each question, answering them honestly,
and in that honest answer feeling the wisdom that may shine through.
Do you like being still, or do you prefer to be busy, to keep moving and to be do-ing all the time? Why did you answer this way?
When was the last time you felt deeply still? I invite you to take yourself back to that time, to that situation and relive it? Feel it. See it. Remember the stillness that came over you and try to embody that stillness again.
When was the last time you consciously left the busyness of your day to seek quietness, stillness and calmness? To consciously STOP what you were doing, to do something softer, something calmer, something that would help to create a depth of stillness in your body, mind and soul? What did you step away from? Why did you choose to leave it for that moment, that period of time? What did you do then that created stillness for you? Did you go back to that busy place again? And if you did, how did you feel after you had some still time?
And then, I wonder, when was the last time you chose to continue to be busy over the option to find calmness and stillness? Why did you choose that? What happened then?
Stillness.
A deep sense of calmness.
Stillness.
A deep sense of peace.
Maybe you have woken in those early morning hours when the sun has yet to shine and the birds have yet to sing
Maybe you have woken in those early morning hours when the cars have stilled and the night has slowed
The Magic Hour
The Twilight Hour
The Midnight Hour
And maybe at those times
when you woke,
the silence that covered the land also wrapped around you too
like a blanket
like a warm drink on a cold night
like a child’s kiss upon your cheek.
Or maybe, for you, the stillness comes in the sounds of the waves
gently coming in
gently going out
Maybe the stillness comes when the waves
gently make their way into your mind, your worries, your anxieties
washing them,
of the thoughts that were too noisy
soothing them,
of the demands that are too big.
Or maybe the stillness comes when all the things have been put away and the clothes have been folded and the vacuuming has been done,
and the house is now tidy,
and all that is left is clear space
and more space
and
more space
And in this clear space
Stillness comes to visit
and in this space
Stillness sends you an invitation
to come sit
to come and be held
in the stillness
by The Stillness.
The Stillness I refer to is the Stillness that invites warmth inside your being
It is the stillness where dreams are be formed
and creativity can be explored,
It is the Stillness where wisdom can be sought
and insights can be known,
It is also the stillness where you can sit with another
and know, that you, your friend and Stillness can sit in companionable silence
and beyond the words
some greater understanding is occurring
some greater communication is happening.
Sometimes this type of stillness only lasts a few minutes.
Sometimes longer.
Sometimes shorter.
Time is an illusion when Stillness comes to visit,
because Stillness in its pure form invites expansion,
it invites a depth of healing and understanding
awareness and connection,
and the confines of time and space have no place when Stillness comes to visit.
Every day
every single day,
it is important to do something that creates stillness
in your mind, body and soul?
Nothing demanding
Nothing hard
Nothing arduous
Something soft
and simple;
Something loving
and compassionate;
Something hopeful
and creative.
Here are some of the things I do to invite Stillness to come into my life:
Wake up early - before the dawn and sit in that Magic Hour where nothing moves and yet everything has promise.
Go to the beach. With bare feet upon the sand my body automatically goes into a still space, and then the wave join me and soothe my mind and heart, and cleanse my body and soul.
Do a meditation or some deep breathing
Have a rest in the afternoon - either sleep or read a book. Right now I am rereading Pride and Prejudice.
Go for a walk in nature, and then find a place to sit (in my case usually under a tree) and just sit and talk to the tree, or watch the birds, or feel the breeze on my face, or play with the leaves that have fallen or just close my eyes as I lean back on the tree.
Clean the house - vacuum, put things away etc - and then smudge (I love using White Sage, although you can use incense, aromatherapy oils, lavender smudge sticks etc) and after the smudging I like to just sit, usually in the furthest corner of the room and look peacefully around me.
Hand-sew
Sharing a pot of tea with my partner as we sit on the lounge room floor. Sometimes we chat and let the stillness wash over us. Sometimes we just sit together being conscious of Stillness, and the three of us share in that beautiful silence
What about you? What do you do to create that sense of Stillness in your life?
I would love you to write to me and share what things you do that helps to increase the stillness in your life.
So my dear friend,
What will you do today to create more stillness in your life
and to be held by Stillness in an embrace of calmness and serenity?
Soft. Simple. Still.
May these words become something tangible and real
when the world around you becomes anything but…
In honour of your journey.
Blessed be
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Your contribution ensures that my light and energy can be sustained in a soft, simple and still way.
In gratitude,
for all your support. x
I am so craving stillness at the moment Sam and this is the perfect invitation. I have found myself becoming so restless over the last few weeks as though I cannot settle. I long for that feeling of stillness and this is the doorway that I needed. Thank you. x
I have truly loved your exploration of your publication name, Sam. Each one invites me into feeling the way I want to feel. I have been consciously cultivating stillness the last few weeks after my constant busyness resulted in insomnia. And it's felt like such a delicious reunion. Your words here on the subject are a beautiful meditation that I will return again and again. Thank you so much!