Written by Hello beautiful ones,
Lately, I’ve been reflecting on tranquility.
Tranquility – or, if you like, a harmonious presence – doesn’t feel particularly encouraged in today’s busy world. Any effort we make to settle, rest, or become quiet and peaceful can feel a little like swimming upstream.
In my own practice, and when I observe others, I notice how quickly the mind wants to move on – to fix, or to fill space. And yet, when we stay a moment longer, especially in simple shapes, something begins to soften on its own.
Physically, we can support a sense of tranquility in our practice by:
- moving slowly and sweetly
- inviting a few extra moments of stillness
- smoothing and steadying the breath
- allowing effort to ease into wu-wei, an effortless-effort
Something I’ve been experimenting with recently is adding deliberate pauses between tasks. When I finish one thing, and before I begin another, I pause for three breaths. It’s easier said than done and can feel surprisingly radical!
If you like, today you might pause once or twice longer than usual. Notice what changes when you don’t rush away.
I’ll leave you, dear ones, with a beautiful excerpt from a poem by Pablo Neruda, Keeping Quiet:
“If we were not so single-minded
about keeping our lives moving,
and for once could do nothing,
perhaps a huge silence
might interrupt this sadness
of never understanding ourselves”
All my love to you, S. xxx.