by Connie Habash | Apr 30, 2025 | Articles, Being, Essence, Peace
We’re so used to being busy, filling our lives with “doings” and filling our minds with thoughts and distraction. None of this is who we are – our Essence is found in our Emptiness.
I have so much to do! There’s not enough time! What do I have to get done today? I need to make a TO DO list. These are familiar phrases to most of us. Our lives focus around doing. And not just doing – doing more, doing faster, doing better. It’s never enough.
These attitudes have contributed to the creation of a society that’s on the fast track – with little hope of getting off. Fast food, fast internet connections, fast results (yeah, lose 20 lbs in a week!), fast, fast, fast.
The Result of Constant Doing – Stress
What does this frantic pace of doing, doing, doing result in? Stress. Our modern culture experiences stress in ways that it has never experienced in history. What’s strange is that we live in a time of more conveniences and more safety in the world than ever before. Aren’t washing machines, computers, cell phones, supposed to save us time and effort?
Yet it seems that, rather than having more time, we use them to squeeze more “doings” into our day. We don’t have to worry about saber-toothed tigers chasing us down. Yet our bodies are in a constant state of heightened stress (and our current world events contribute to this), which is showing up in continual stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system: adrenaline pumping, hyper vigilance, higher blood pressure, higher heart rates.
Our bodies are not given the time to relax and allow the sympathetic nervous system to calm down. If we do not let go and allow the parasympathetic nervous system (which creates relaxation in the body) to function, this contributes to further symptoms: undigested food, difficulty sleeping, anxiety, tense muscles. There’s a high cost to the drive to do more, better, and faster, and we’re just beginning to realize it.
Doing vs. Being
Here many of us are, our minds racing around at 100 mph; it’s hard to fall asleep, our bodies are restless, and it seems that whatever we do just isn’t enough. The challenge is that we overvalue doing, and undervalue being.
Relaxation isn’t encouraged, or even supported, in our culture. We seek peace of mind, but we mistakenly believe that we’ll get it when we’ve “done” enough. After years of this “doing”, it may be a little shocking to realize that it’s not the doing that will bring that peace.
When we can allow ourselves to be for a while – meditate, do a restorative pose, lie on the grass and gaze up at the sky – we begin to access a sense of timelessness, a sense of peace within ourselves that we’ll never reach if we always base our self-worth and sense of fulfillment on doing.
Escaping from Emptiness
So what’s the obsession with doing all about? One possibility is that doing is often an escape from a feeling of emptiness inside. And emptiness can be more than a little uncomfortable for most of us.
We panic when our gas tanks, our bank accounts, our calendars, our stomachs are empty! It feels vulnerable, scary, and it can trigger fear for our survival. It makes sense that we’d avoid experiencing emptiness within ourselves. Empty is undefined, dark, unknown, and very silent. It requires trust and courage. And it is a part of all of us, whether we choose to avoid it or to embrace it.
A Natural Part of Ourselves
Being allows us to embrace that emptiness, not as something that needs to be filled, but as a natural part of ourselves – the vast openness of space, the empty bowl that can be filled with anything. We all have that inner emptiness of unlimited potential. Part of our suffering is the belief that we shouldn’t have emptiness inside – something must be wrong if I feel this emptiness. But it’s not true.
That emptiness is the essence of being. If our lives were always full, when would there be time to smell the flowers? If our stomachs were always full, would we be able to enjoy the tastes of our favorite foods? If our mailbox is always full, do we ever have the time to enjoy reading a heartfelt letter? It’s the emptiness that makes a cave magical – if it were full of stuff, there’d be no cave. It’s the emptiness of a well that allows it to have space to contain the water. The silence and peace of a desert comes from its emptiness.
The Key to Our Essential Nature
Our emptiness within is precious, and it’s the key to our essential nature. Our essence is not based on any of our “doings” in life. In the restorative teacher training I did with Judith Lasater many years ago, she asserted that we all want to be loved for WHO we are: yet we settle for being loved for what we can do or achieve. Who we are is beyond all of the doings. It’s a quality that others can feel in our presence, our touch, our silence, and our words – when we are empty of the doings and simply being with our loved one.
You may be able to think of someone in your life that doesn’t run around and do a lot, yet they’re a pleasure to be around. You can relax and be yourself in their presence. This quality of being comes from appreciating the emptiness, the silence, and our essential nature that is beyond achievements and activities. When we can appreciate our emptiness within, we can find that peaceful, quiet stillness that we all long for.
Being in Emptiness – the Source of Creativity and Who You Are
The emptiness, our inner essence, is also the source of our creativity. Only when we give ourselves that inner space, letting go of doing for a while, can new ideas and expressions spring forth. The painting emerges from an empty canvas, not usually one that is already painted on. The pot is shaped from a lump of clay, and the sculpture is found in the raw stone: we must start from the place of the unknown, and if we are attuned to that essence, it will begin to emerge out of our inner formlessness and take on its outer essential nature. Emerging from the place of being just a simple rock or a blank page.
Breathe in. Then, exhale out completely, and feel the emptiness. That emptiness allows you to take a deep, full breath again. The fact that the lungs have space, an emptiness inside of them, allows you to take in oxygen. Let yourself Be a little bit. Feel your essence, which is beyond any of your doings. It is that which is your greatest treasure, which no one can take away, and nothing can change.
To quote the Tao Te Ching:
We join the spokes together in a wheel,
but it is the center hole
that makes the wagon move.
We shape clay into a pot,
but it is the emptiness inside
that holds whatever we want.
We hammer wood for a house,
but it is the inner space
that makes it livable.
Benefit may be derived from something,
but it is in nothing that we find usefulness.
Feeling called to release the doing and rest in your Being? You’re invited to explore the peace and presence of your true Essence through Spiritual Mentoring.
by Connie Habash | Dec 20, 2024 | Holidays, Peace, Yoga Philosophy
The holiday season has messages of Peace on Earth – but how do we create that? It starts with a peaceful mind, and yoga philosophy points the way.
Holiday cards say it. We hear it in carols. “Peace on Earth” is a familiar refrain during December, and a common wish for the New Year. It’s a shared sentiment among all traditions, religions, and spiritual paths. We’d all like to see Peace come to our planet. Yet, from tension in the line at the bank, to arguments with our spouses, to political battles and actual wars, we still don’t see the harmony we’d like to in our world. There’s much to be done before we will experience peace in our world.
It Starts in Our Minds
Ultimately, peace begins in our own minds. So often, our consciousness is filled with anger, judgment, jealousy, revenge, fear, impatience, obsession, or agitation. You name it, there are a hundred ways in which our efforts to be at peace are hindered from within.
Imagine, then, a whole country filled with people whose minds can’t be happy with anything, are unable to wait for their good, and who perceive others as adversaries or competition. It would be hard enough to keep peace within the borders let alone to conceive of harmonious relations with other nations. This is the situation in our present day world.
3 “Shantis”
Yet, peace on earth is possible. To embark upon this path, each of us needs to take responsibility for creating our own peace within. The word for peace in Sanskrit, “Shanti”. This word is often chanted 3 times at the end of sacred verses. It is a call for peace on 3 levels.
The first level is calling for peace in the natural world – that we are protected from floods, famine, earthquakes. The second level is invoking peace in our communities -amongst nations and neighbors. The last level is considered by many to be the most challenging to achieve – inner peace.
Although we can put up a good front, the mind is a great trickster and can be running amuck even when we put on a smile and a pleasant demeanor. If we really want peace in our world, we must be willing to undertake the task of calming the mind.
Cessation of the Agitation
This task is the main goal of yoga. Most of the Yoga Sutra, the classic text of yoga philosophy, is devoted to the explanation of how to quiet the mind; to cause the mental agitation to cease. Without going into the some of the more esoteric and elaborate aspects of this practice, we can talk about the basics and, in simple terms, learn how to become more calm and peaceful within.
To calm our inner state we first must become masters of self-observation. In other words, we need to be able to watch the contents of our mind carefully. What thoughts arise? Often, we don’t even know that we’re having thoughts – they’re just flying by unconsciously, yet having a large impact on our emotions, decisions, and actions. It’s like having the radio or television on constantly. After a while, we don’t even notice it is on. Yet some part of our mind hears it and hears what’s being broadcast.
If the only programs that were broadcast in our consciousness were about love, joy, and being happy, it probably wouldn’t be such a problem. But that is not how our minds usually work. The mind is adept at seeing problems and coming up with solutions. It wants to have a task, a job, and if we don’t give it one to focus on, it will focus on problems.
Everything’s a problem
It’s quite easy for the mind to see most everything as a problem if we allow it to. Our thoughts can slip into envy, jealousy, feeling we can’t compete, fear that we won’t get what we want, anger at believing someone got something we should have, etc.
If we aren’t vigilant about observing the mind, it begins to perceive most of life as a problem or to cause problems for it to try to overcome. This allows the mind to feel useful and successful. In other words, the ego is created and is bolstered by the feeling of overcoming adversity. Life is perceived as one long struggle and the ego wants to be the winner. If it feels it can’t be, there is despair and outrage.
Meditation Reveals the Obstacles
One of the best methods for becoming a master of observing your mind is meditation. Sitting still, without any task whatsoever (other than perhaps watching your breath or chanting a simple mantra), we can very quickly begin to understand what is going on all the time in our “heads” while we are unaware.
Here’s plausible inner dialogue one might observe during a mediation session: “My nose itches. Am I allowed to scratch it? Why not! I should be. What’s the big deal? I feel trapped by this meditation. Having to sit. It hurts my back. I’m angry. I have a ton of things to get done and what is this doing for me? Nothing. What a waste of time. Why is that person breathing so loud? It’s so distracting. I want peace and quiet. My jaw is tight. Gosh, I didn’t know I was clenching it.”
These thoughts might reveal a perception of being trapped in situations in life and a resulting resentment. They speak of impatience and possibly feeling that other people are responsible for making us feel peaceful. Finally, there is a realization that these attitudes of resentment, impatience, and expectations of others cause tension in the body. Through meditation, we can observe the obstacles to our inner peace.
An Undisciplined Toddler
Once we become honest observers of ourselves, we not only can see clearly what thoughts are arising in any given moment, but we recognize that, most of the time, these thoughts are causing us stress. The mind can certainly be used in very productive ways – when we are calculating a payment, when listening to someone and trying to understand them, or when writing an essay. But most of the time we’re not in such focused work, and an undisciplined mind, just like an undisciplined toddler, runs wild and gets us into trouble. If we allow our thoughts to dominate, we won’t be able to find a peaceful mind.
Thoughts, Not Reality
The next step is undoubtedly the most difficult – creating change in our consciousness. How do we develop a more peaceful mind when we’re filled with these thoughts? We begin with seeing them as they are – only thoughts. These ideas that arise in our head are thoughts, not reality.
However, the majority of the time, we react to them as if they were real. We may begin to treat the person we thought was breathing loudly with disdain, because we judged that not only was their breathing loud, but it was a problem. The truth is that it was simply a person breathing. Whether or not it is a problem is up to us, not the person breathing.
Identifying with the Thoughts, or with What is Real?
In the Yoga Sutras, the author, Patanjali, informs us that if we do not free ourselves from these fluctuations of mind, we then identify ourselves with them. We become at the whim of the rise and fall of our emotions. We are blown about by annoyances, misinterpretations, projections. We lose our center and become the victims of circumstance.
Our reaction to what arises in life determines whether the “heavy breather” becomes a non-issue or something that ruins our day. If we believe our thoughts, we could easily go about our lives reacting to everything. But if we start to reality-check and notice, “hey, that’s just a thought – what if I decided to pay attention to something else rather than dwell on their breath?” we find that it fades into the background.
Affirmation – Changing the Thoughts
As we begin to question the reality of our thoughts, we can undertake the next practice – considering what to replace them with. In the beginning, it may be helpful to use something as simple as affirmations. If we are having a thought, “I will never be able to do all this work”, we can replace it with a positive statement that supports us in the result we’d like: “I am able to finish my work in a timely manner.”
Although we may not always believe these affirmations at first, consider this: why is it so much easier to believe the negative statement than the positive? Even if we’ve had a history of having difficulty with our work, it’s possible that we’ve had those problems because we have consistently believed the thoughts that say we aren’t capable.
Cultivate the Opposite
Again, Patanjali’s wisdom shines through the ages to offer a similar suggestion. In the 33rd verse of the second chapter of the Sutras, he states that in order to repel “unwholesome deliberations” – negative thoughts, reactions, attitudes – that one should cultivate their opposite. Not just filling in a positive affirmation when there is a negative belief, but practicing feeling, behaving, thinking, and speaking in a manner aligned with the positive response to that negativity.
Patanjali gives several examples of the practice of replacing the negative with the positive. By becoming free from thoughts, words, or deeds that are harming, all interactions become harmonious. This is not just to refrain from hurting another, but to fully embrace kindness, love, and compassion for all beings.
Embodying those qualities, all tensions and enmity dissolve around us. People naturally feel safe in our presence. If we feel dissatisfied, by practicing appreciation of whatever comes to us and allowing ourselves to feel content with the good we can see in our lives, we begin to experience happiness.
This can be applied to any aspect of life. If you feel anger towards a coworker and you want to be freed from that, consider what the opposite would be. If you’re unable to feel love for them, can you feel compassion for what they may be experiencing that causes them to act in ways that anger you? Can you then extend that practice to wishing that they are free from their pain and suffering?
A sense of connection arises with that person – that all of us, at one time or another, experience suffering. You may be able to extend the wish that both you and that other person are happy. If that other person becomes happy and friendly, wouldn’t you like them more? This cultivates the ability to express kindness or even love to that other person. When we do this, we naturally feel happier and more loving within.
Non-attachment and Practice
In the beginning, this seems too difficult to do. We often have expectations that our efforts should create instant results. Many of us tend to give up when something we desire requires extended effort. Yet again, the father of modern-day yoga philosophy reminds us that the two most important keys to success in the practice (particularly the practice of finding the quiet, peaceful place beyond these fluctuations of mind) are Non-attachment (Vairaagya) and steady, unrelenting Practice (Abhyaasa).
Non-attachment and Practice. We need to keep doing the right thing, regardless of whether we get instant results or not, regardless of whether we feel immediately better or if it is easy or difficult. We must persist without expectation of particular outcomes, being unattached and open to the process. If we cling to a certain result, we again become ensnared in the demands, worries, frustrations, and judgments of the fluctuating mind. Step back, observe without reacting, and continue to practice.
It’s Possible When We Start Within
Naturally, as we observe the rise and fall of our mental fluctuations, see what disturbs our inner peace, and cultivate positive qualities to replace negativity, we experience more calm, joy, and contentment. Through these practices, we plant the inner seeds of peace and they begin to grow. Peaceful minds become our internal experience. When each person takes on this kind of practice, peace then can grow in the world. Ultimately, we are responsible for ourselves first. This is our part in creating peace.
When each of us learns to create a peaceful mind, Peace on Earth is possible. Now. It’s up to each of us. It’s up to you.
Seeking guidance for cultivating inner peace? Spiritual Mentoring can help you find the way.
by Connie Habash | Jan 24, 2024 | Peace, Silence, stillness, Winter
Wintertime has many spiritual gifts for us; perhaps the greatest are opportunities to be still and quiet, teaching us the way to inner peace.
What speaks to you in the quiet of Winter? What do you hear in the pause between the gusts of wind, blowing the last of the leaves from the trees? In that place of silence, we hear our own heart, and our soul, speaking softly. We hear the gentle, quiet voice of the Divine, if we allows ourselves to listen. In order to listen, we need to slow down and become still and quiet.
Wintertime is indeed a time to be still. We take our cues from nature – everything has gone dormant. All life composts its old self, allowing what no longer is vital to die away, sitting and waiting quietly. But waiting has a purpose. These plants and animals are going deep inside to conserve their resources, find new life within, and to build up energy for the growth of spring.
There are many great lessons for us in winter. The importance of stillness, silence, and going deep inside is of great value to our own journey of growth. It’s hard for us to comprehend and value stillness and inner peace in our culture. The western world is based on the external, superficial, and excessive activity that business, work, hectic family schedules, deadlines, and “making it” emphasize.
How many of us have run at that hectic pace until we simply burned out? If we never had a wintertime, our planet would experience the same thing. Nature knows that a time of rest and reflection is essential to growth and well-being, even if it looks stagnant in the short term.
Can you stand, still and quiet like a tree in winter, and listen to the Spirit within? Can you sit, like the Buddha under the Bodhi tree, and feel the peace of unmoving presence? Without the times of stillness, motion loses its impact. It is in these moments of stillness and silence that we awaken, that we sense the quality of peace most palpably, and we deepen our connection to each other. I am reminded of the aftermath of 9/11, when there was a moment of silence around the world, seeing images of every major city during that moment, people of all creeds standing still and quiet. Honoring what we share, which is our humanity.
Beyond our differences in language, religion, culture, race, gender, and sexuality, we share the silence. The Divine Presence is beyond words. You can join nature in its meditation on that inner stillness. What you discover in that silent moment will connect you to all other beings. As we deepen into the wintertime, let’s remember that inner connection to consciousness… still, quiet, peaceful, and ever present.
Want to feel more inner peace and find the silence within? Spiritual mentoring can support you in your awakening.
by Connie Habash | Sep 3, 2021 | Guidance, Intuition, Meditation, Peace, Relax, Release
Most of us don’t value silence – yet it has many blessings. Discover the benefits of giving yourself the gift of silence (and how to actually cultivate it).
Ah, modern life. It’s so full of busy-ness, to-do lists, and distraction – very little silence. There’s so much media around us to watch, play with, and listen to. It’s easy to fill every day with scrolling and watching, reading, and tuning into shows or podcasts. Plus there is the sound of traffic, leaf blowers, airplanes, vacuum cleaners. So much activity, and so little silence.
We may be a little uncomfortable with silence as a result. What do we do with it? Our bodies start to feel restless and tense, trying to figure out what to do with all that quiet. So we keep filling life with noise.
That noise isn’t limited to what is outside of us – internally, there’s constant chatter in our minds. Although it may be a very familiar friend, there’s a cost to all this inner dialogue and thinking – it expends a tremendous amount of energy. Excessive talking is a reflection of the internal thoughts, and also depletes our vital life force, adding to the noise.
Put together all the external, boundless noise in our world and the constant chatter within us, and it’s no wonder we often feel overwhelmed and exhausted.
The Gift of Silence is stepping out of that cycle of constant distraction, activity, and thinking. In the inner quiet, we receive many blessings:
- Energy – The energy we were wasting on thinking and constant external stimulation is reclaimed and renewed within us in silence. Imagine how much vitality you may discover from all that recovered energy!
- Ease – All that noise and agitation causes tension in our body and mind. When we finally give ourselves a little silence, the body has an opportunity to relax and let go.
- Creativity – If we don’t allow open, quiet, unstructured time, new ideas can’t emerge within us. Our brain is too engaged with all of the distractions. Recent studies have discovered that some boredom – which includes silence and letting go of “doing” for a while – increases productivity and creativity.
- Peace – If you’ve ever been stargazing outdoors in the mountains or desert on a dark and clear night, you have probably felt the palpable sense of peace. We can’t have inner peace without quieting the internal noise, too. Silence outside of us helps us find that silence within that brings peace.
- Inner Knowing – How can we possibly hear our intuition, or the inner, quiet voice of Spirit, when we’re inundated by external distraction and internal, incessant chatter? Once you access a bit more inner silence, you’ll be able to hear the gentle guidance of the Divine more clearly.
There may be many more blessings in silence that you haven’t discovered yet, because you haven’t valued it enough to seek it. There is a vast realm of your own True Self within waiting for you to find it in the quiet. Meditation is a wonderful way to discover that silence inside of you, but you can also experience it walking through the woods or down a quiet road, sitting in the sunshine, arising before dawn, or opening a window late at night. You can even use earplugs when the external circumstances don’t cooperate!
But don’t expect silence to be completely quiet. In meditation, the mind will probably still have thoughts. To find that inner silence, don’t try to shut those thoughts down: instead, seek and focus on the quiet spaces between them.
Give yourself the Gift of Silence; open to receive the ease, energy, peace, creativity, and inner knowing, and see what other gifts may show up in your life.
Want support in finding the inner quiet? Join me for my online Monthly Meditation Class!
by Connie Habash | Jun 9, 2014 | Consciousness, Meditation, Nature, Peace, Quiet, Thoughts, Tranqulity
Imagine sitting by the shore of a pond. There is a gentle breeze, just enough to tickle you, on a balmy, warm day. You can hear birds singing, talking to one another, with spacious periods of serene silence in-between. At the near edge of the pond is a grouping of lily pads, with several pale pink blossoms opening themselves to the sun. Other than the occasional duck that paddles by, the water is smooth as glass, undisturbed and reflective.
Suddenly, a sizable stone is tossed in the air, and lands soundly in the middle of the pond with a ker-plunk! A duck, seemingly out of nowhere, takes flight, fleeing to the far side of the pond, while the birds pause, listening. Ripples extend out from the point of impact, yet the stone itself has disappeared, settling to the muddy bottom.
Slowly, steadily, the ripples soften in their intensity, echoing out to the pond’s edge, and gradually the water returns to its smooth, undisturbed state. The birds resume their song, and the cattails gently bend in the soft breeze.
For me, this is a place of tranquility – quiet and peaceful, harmonious and natural. We all love to spend time in tranquil places in nature. But what we seek most is the tranquility of the mind and spirit. This is a mind that is free from agitation, undisturbed. It is an inner state of steadiness.
But like the pond, disturbances are part of life. We inevitably experience situations that create turmoil from time to time. More commonly, we experience mental turmoil – rumination, obsessive thoughts, worries, frustration. Just like the stone thrown into the water, we are all too familiar with pebbles, stones, and large rocks pummeling our internal pool.
The key to maintaining inner tranquility is found in the metaphor of the pond. The pond doesn’t resist the stone; it receives it, and feels the ripples from its impact. But the difference between us and the pond is that the pond lets it go. It allows the ripples to move out from the center of contact, and gently subside into stillness again. The stone becomes absorbed into the muddy bottom, settling into the stillness in the background of awareness.
When disturbing thoughts arise, become aware of them. Witness them, as if you were watching the ripple effects of the stone landing in the water. But don’t get caught up in the thought, clinging to it and building a story around it. Instead, let the thought go. Allow it to fade into the background, and feel what is beneath the thoughts: the inner silence.
The more attention given to the inner silence, that place of stillness that beneath the thinking mind, the more tranquility emerges within you. You’ll feel undisturbed, even when ripples of thought flow through. You’ll be grounded in the place beyond the surface-level agitations of the mind.
It takes practice, but tranquility can be yours as you learn to identify with the inner stillness, rather than the surface-level agitations. Be like the pond; as the thoughts subside, choose to return to the smooth, reflective inner space of tranquility, over and over again.
by Connie Habash | Apr 24, 2013 | Beauty, Expression, Growth, Movement, Patience, Peace, Quiet, Rebirth, Seasons, Spring, stillness
Nature reflects to us the process of personal and spiritual transformation all around us. In my classes, with my clients, and in spiritual community I honor and invite all to explore the profound affect these natural changes have on each of us.
Spring, the season we’re currently in, and summer are both times of longer daylight – hence, the energies around and within us are externally focused. It’s all about taking what is within you and finding ways of expressing it in the world.
Spring is new beginnings, where we burst forth from the gestation of the colder time of the year and feel ready for new adventures. We explore who we are becoming and we reinvent ourselves anew. It’s a good time to step into something you’ve toyed with for a while. It’s also a good time to listen to new perspectives and see the world in a fresh way.
Summer is taking those explorations to a new height. It’s the time of ripening. While spring encouraged us to step out into new territory, summer is prime-time for play and celebration of our success and our finer qualities. Allow yourself to authentically and radiantly shine, just like the sun. Recognize your gifts and share them freely, just as nature’s bounty blesses us with the fruits of the season.
At the end of summer we begin to feel the down-shift into a more introspective time. We enter the growing nighttime, and so, too, we enter the unconscious. Fall takes us away from the externally-focused energies of exuberant summertime and asks us to pause and consider what we feel, who we are, and to reminisce. We revisit the past during autumn to integrate, grieve, reflect, and heal.
Which takes us at last to winter, the coldest and most inward time. This is the great stillness; nature is quiet, hibernating. We, too, have been called by the inner silence to find peace with what is. We embrace our inner wisdom that we have gained from the four seasons of life, and let it gestate into something which we will share with the world. Winter is a time of the Spirit, peace, and patience.
Each season offers us new opportunities to understand ourselves and the world we live in. I facilitate that greater journey for every person I work with, as they are touched by what the season offers. What is this season offering you today?
by Connie Habash | Nov 15, 2012 | Acceptance, Mindfulness, Peace
I’m the kind of person that is looking for meaning in everything. This opens up my perspective on life to be able to look at ordinary things and find great lessons in them. It inspires me daily.
But lately, I’ve also come to appreciate meaninglessness. Sometimes, it’s nice just to be myself, do something, and not search intensely for what great spiritual message may be coming through. It’s refreshing just to be.
This is part of the practice of mindfulness. While it’s lovely to be mindful of what we can learn in any given moment, true mindfulness is being present with whatever is, without any expectation or need for it to result in a particular experience.
For many of us, this is a challenge. We want to “get the most out of life.” We fill ourselves up with lots of “experiences”, constantly scrutinizing each situation for its value, and we feel disappointed if we’re not “getting something out of it.”
It’s freeing to just let something be meaningless. Or rather, to let its intrinsic existence be good enough, at face value. The moment is just what it is. Present with the ordinariness, the simplicity. Let the mind be quiet, and breathe in, breathe out.
I find this is the path to inner peace.
Wintertime has many spiritual gifts for us; perhaps the greatest are opportunities to be still and quiet, teaching us the way to inner peace.
Imagine sitting by the shore of a pond. There is a gentle breeze, just enough to tickle you, on a balmy, warm day. You can hear birds singing, talking to one another, with spacious periods of serene silence in-between. At the near edge of the pond is a grouping of lily pads, with several pale pink blossoms opening themselves to the sun. Other than the occasional duck that paddles by, the water is smooth as glass, undisturbed and reflective.
Nature reflects to us the process of personal and spiritual transformation all around us. In my classes, with my clients, and in spiritual community I honor and invite all to explore the profound affect these natural changes have on each of us.
