Find Your Stillness

Stillness lays hidden, 

until you ask it to speak.

That is when all shadows fall away.

And the light,

breathes freely and uninhibited.
Through us and then beyond us.

-Jennifer-

In our everyday world, life can be complete chaos.  Our limits will be pushed and tested.  Our patience can run us over thin ice.  Quite frequently, we can feel like life is backing us up against a wall and we don't know how to get unstuck.  One way out is to find your own stillness within the madness.   

I've mentioned this numerous times before, that my nursing career has been the perfect grooming tool for my spiritual practice.  Within my career no matter which setting I've worked in, I'm pulled and tugged, challenged both physically and mentally and yet through it all, I manage to stay calm.  I literally feel as if the craziness is all around me and I'm just watching it all happen.  This has been a pretty mind blowing experience taking into consideration that just a few years ago the stress would mount so high, I would be physically and mentally in pain from the exact same work environment that I'm in now.

When someone asks me about the benefits of yoga and meditation, one of the first things I share with them is, yes it is relaxing and a great mental and physical workout.  But it's the adjustment to life for me, that has made the biggest difference of all.  Finding my stillness and then carrying those very lessons of stillness into real life, is what has made the difference of jumping ship and holding up ship.  

The inability to manage stress in a healthy way allows us to crash and burn within the process.  Stress is actually a good thing when managed appropriately.  But we also need to have enough balance and sense to know when enough is enough.  And we need to have a healthy outlet of relieving our minds and bodies of that stress.  Some people prefer cardio workouts such as running or the elliptical.  Even going for a walk or venting to our spouses or friends can be an effective tool.  It is within these types of practices that we can find our stillness.  We are releasing any blocks that have formed throughout the day and getting it out of our minds and bodies in order to give it up to wherever it needs to go.

It is when we practice holding onto stress that can be the real trickster.  Have you ever met or maybe are someone who is a bottler?  You bottle up all of your feelings and take on more and more until your head feels like it could explode.  People are afraid to be around you because who knows when the lid will blow off and who knows who will be the targeted victim.  Where is the stillness in this?  Well, actually there is.  It is after the pent up energy is released.  It just hasn't been done in an effective or healthy manner.  Which scenario would you prefer to use in life?

As everyone knows I am a huge advocate of practicing yoga and meditation.  However, I am a huge advocate of living a healthy and fulfilling life in anyway you can find it.  Whatever practice you can find that allows you to take with you your stillness, will improve your life in countless ways.  As we progress in this practice, life will become peaceful and calm no matter what the challenge.  Our daily life becomes a workout of balance, peace and healthy intentions.  

How can you lead a peaceful life?  How do you release yourself from the stresses of the day?  Share with us, we would love to hear from you!

As always with love,

Jennifer

Email me at jfremionfw@gmail.com

©2013 Jennifer Fremion. All rights reserved.