Take time to experience the power of stillness!

Do you feel like life is moving too fast and becoming more chaotic? Concepts we once believed to be true, individually, and as a society, are being challenged as no longer true, or labeled as ‘disinformation’. We are constantly being bombarded by conflicting ideas about everything from politics to health. There’s a lot of ‘noise’ out there in the world. Often, we yearn to shut it all out and just experience a feeling of stillness and quiet.

In our busy, modern lives, it can be difficult to find stillness and quiet. We’re constantly stimulated by technology, demands on our time, and the fast pace of everyday life. We have a love/hate relationship with the internet. We love the convenience it provides in being able to research things, but hate being inundated with ads, messages, and spam. Glennon Doyle Melton puts it this way, “The internet has become my enabler. It keeps me from stillness and discomfort, and this keeps me from growing.”

Yes, making time for stillness is vital for our health and wellbeing. As Eckhart Tolle wrote in his book The Power of Now, “You find peace not by rearranging the circumstances of your life, but by realizing who you are at the deepest level.”

Stillness allows us to connect with our innermost selves. When we slow down and tune out distractions, we create space for reflection, presence, and insight. We are able to hear our own thoughts, feel deeply, and gain perspective. Tolle describes this state as “the arising of a new dimension of consciousness.” If that sounds a bit academic, we interpret it to mean that in stillness, our awareness moves from the head to the heart.

Practicing stillness can take many forms. Meditation and mindful breathing help calm the mind. Quiet natural settings invite stillness, as Henry David Thoreau discovered at Walden Pond, “I find it wholesome to be alone the greater part of the time…to be in company with the trees…I am no more lonely than the loon in the pond.” A pause between activities, removing stimulation, and simply focusing on the present moment, all allow stillness to emerge.

The benefits of stillness are profound. Neuroscientist Andrew Huberman explains that regular stillness triggers “a relaxation response that directly counters the fight-or-flight sympathetic nervous system.” The parasympathetic nervous system can then take over to induce calm. This lowers blood pressure, stress hormones, and anxiety. Stillness also enhances neural connectivity and neuroplasticity, improving concentration, memory, and learning. Creativity flourishes as new ideas blossom in the spaciousness of stillness.

The concept of stillness is not new. It’s been around 1000’s of years. Psalm 46:10 advises, “Be still, and know that I am God.” When we are still, we can move beyond our narrow consciousness of just ourselves to connect with broader truths. Stillness provides perspective on what really matters and awakens our highest potential. Thich Nhat Hanh wrote, “People sacrifice the health of their own body and spirit in their pursuit of personal wealth.” Stillness provides time to clarify our values and priorities so we can live a life of purpose and meaning.

We suggest that taking time for stillness is beneficial for everyone – professional people, busy parents, and caregivers, are among the many that can be helped to avoid overwhelm. Surprisingly, even retired people benefit because they are often so busy that they don’t schedule quiet time for themselves.

Yes, stillness can be challenging to maintain amid daily distractions. It takes practice and discipline to regularly carve out mindful moments. You can start small: pause before reacting, take three deep, slow conscious breaths and feel your feet on the floor or ground outside. Build up to longer periods of meditation, reflection, and quiet. Over time, the power of stillness takes root, providing sustenance that nourishes you from within.

As Mother Teresa said, “We need to find God, and God cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature—trees and flowers and grass—grow in silence; see the stars, the moon, and the sun, how they move in silence.” Stillness realigns us with the rhythms of nature, the whispers of inspiration, and the wisdom of the soul. In the spaciousness of stillness, we discover tranquility, meaning, and our deepest truths.

What about you? Do you take time to experience the power of stillness on a regular basis? If so, congratulations! If not, consider how incorporating the discipline of stillness into your life could be of benefit to you. Stillness may help you to feel joy and peace in life even more fully.

Chanhassen MN residents, Doug and Lynn Nodland are success coaches and owners of The Balance Center in Excelsior. Contact them at WeCare@SharingLifesLessons.com

© Doug and Lynn Nodland 2024 Articles and videos may be shared in their entirety with attribution.