Of all things that teach us something about ourselves, sitting still is probably the most revealing. Two simple words, when practiced may bring about profound transformation within ourselves. It is easy to lose oneself in movement. The mind is constantly on the move, and we have become accustomed to the ever changing scenery of thoughts. We see security in the mind, and its movement brings comfort when it is gentle. Life seems ideal when this changing scenery is at just the right pace, too slow and we slip into boredom and lethargy, too fast and it makes us restless and anxious. Motion is a characteristic of everything around us, from the spin of electrons around an atom’s nucleus to that of the galaxies. To this extent, the mind is in harmony with material creation. Thoughts are constantly on the move. At any given moment, our awareness is divided amongst thousands of thought forms moving at different speeds and in various directions. But when we narrow the focus of our awareness consciously or unconsciously, thoughts collapse into certain predictable patterns from which experiences are created. These may be positive or negative. Thoughts may move in one direction and create a sense of ease in the mind. These same thoughts in the opposite direction may create uneasiness in the mind. It all depends on the perspective from which we interact with them. Stillness, not just of the body but also of the mind, frees our awareness to probe deeper realms beyond that of thoughts.
