Stillness. That elusive state of being where All. Is. Well. The peace among the chaos, the calm in the storm. Glimpses like those are rare, but indeed possible to find if we only seek it, scratch that – if we only take the time to notice it’s always there. So often I notice I get taken away by the external circumstances that somehow seem to dictate the direction of my day, the focus of my mind, and the general path I take…darn ego. Then, due to my yoga practice on and off the mat, I take a deep breath. Deeper than normal, way deep.
Breathing….seems so simple right? I mean we do it ALL DAY LONG, you’d think we’d be good at it by now. But the truth is, we’re not. We don’t pay attention to it because it’s always there for us and continues to keep on keepin on even when we are falling apart. The mind, body, and breath are all connected. Much like when we are in dangerous or stressful situations, our breath becomes shallow….our fight or flight response kicks in automatically. But we have the power to reverse that ( to some extent) among the chaos…breathe deep and notice what that does for your peace of mind. In my experience, it starts to shush the mind, calm the heart, relax the body, and lighten the load taking the heaviness out of any situation. Once the mind is quiet, you find yourself smack in the middle of the present mOMent where life is calm, beautiful even.
At this point, it doesn’t matter the situations you find yourself in. There’s no need to avoid the chaos of life because let’s face it…that’s impossible. So instead, find your peace among it and know that it’s always there for you. I’m not sure who said it, but I just love the following quote.
“Life is not about avoiding the storm, but learning to dance in the rain.”
So true. So put on your boogie shoes and let it pour….your favorite song is about to come on.
Breathe In…Peace Out!
May 14th, 2012 at 11:36 pm
Happy Mother’s Day! I hope that you were able to take those moments to breathe while you were away. I can’t wait to hear about meeting your mentor.
Enjoy the week!
May 17th, 2012 at 5:46 am
Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow..Melody Beattie, author, therapist….The power of gratitude.. Life is not about waiting for the storms to pass it’s about learning to dance in the rain…one of my favorites..keep it up Angelina you are doing great..
May 19th, 2012 at 4:08 am
So easy to say, to tell others about it, but it seems when life really hits us upside the head, none too gently, the breath is the first to go. Once the mind kicks in again, then I remember to breathe. Need to find a way to keep breathing, despite that ugly baseball bat.