Reflections: Just Sit & Be Still…
“Within you there is a stillness and a sanctuary to which you can retreat at any time and be yourself.” Hermann Hesse
Reflections: Just Sit & Be Still...
Reflections: Just Sit & Be Still...
“No thought, no action, no movement, total stillness: only thus can one manifest the true nature and law of things from within and unconsciously, and at last become one with heaven and earth.” Lao Tzu
Lately, I’ve been feeling the pull to stop the words, to shut the door, to turn within, to just sit and be still. Do you have those moments when words seem too much? Do you feel drawn to the silent stream on the periphery of your mind’s eye? Just sit and be still…
“One’s action ought to come out of an achieved stillness: not to be mere rushing on.” D.H. Lawrence
Reflections: Just Sit & Be Still...
Reflections: Just Sit & Be Still...
The Eagles – Learn To Be Still
“For those who wish to climb the mountain of spiritual awareness, the path is selfless work. For those who have attained the summit of union with the Lord, the path is stillness and peace.” Bhagavad Gita
Learn To Be Still ~ The Eagles
It’s just another day in paradise
As you stumble to your bed
You’d give anything to silence
Those voices ringing in your head
You thought you could find happiness
Just over that green hill
You thought you would be satisfied
But you never will-
Learn to be still …
Fellow bloggers, Judith of Growing Younger Each Day in Words, Words and More Words, and Nancy of Spirit Lights The Way in The Real You, wrote posts today that touched on something that made me want to sit and be still. As we scuttle about talking, blogging, writing, who or what sustains our drive? the real you? When we choose words that empower us, do we choose tender, tranquil words, or limiting ones? Just sit and be still…
“To the mind that is still, the whole universe surrenders.” Lao Tzu
Reflections: Just Sit & Be Still...
Reflections: Just Sit & Be Still...
“Blessed are the single-hearted, for they shall enjoy much peace. If you refuse to be hurried and pressed, if you stay your soul on God, nothing can keep you from that clearness of spirit which is life and peace. In that stillness you will know what His will is.” Amy Carmichael
Kathy of Pocket Perspectives offered a post Believe in Yourself with a beautiful poem and mention of the beauty and creativity that quiet brings to her space. All of this and more, made me think about the need to retreat from the endless hustle and bustle that is a constant in our lives. Something inside us speaks to that space of quiet prayer, reflection, silence, stillness… Just sit and be still. More below…
“It is the stillness that will save and transform the world.” Eckhart Tolle
Reflections: Just Sit & Be Still...
Reflections: Just Sit & Be Still...
Reflections: Just Sit & Be Still...
Just sitting means just that. That ‘just’ endlessly goes against the grain of our need to fix, transform, and improve ourselves. The paradox of our practice is that the most effective way of transformation is to leave ourselves alone.The more we let everything be just what it is, the more we relax into an open, attentive awareness of one moment after another. Just sitting leaves everything just as it is. ~ Barry Magid, “Leave Yourself Alone”
Another blogger friend, Rose of What’s Your Plaza wrote, Oh, Where, oh Where Have I Been?, an eye-opening post about her blogging/writing journey and finding her way to her true calling. I love all my blogger friends and the wisdom each of you share daily/weekly. There are wonderful vignettes passed on and even when I might seem absent, the lessons are learned. Thank you all for your work of love. Other things are calling and I sense a new direction coming my way. For now, I’ll just sit and be still. What about you? What are your thoughts? Where do you find stillness? What helps you to retreat? Do you have quiet, meditative days? Do share! Thank you. 🙂
Positive Motivation Tip: Find that place of quiet and stillness and spend some time there; healing, creation and rejuvenation reside there.
Related articles
- Bhagavad Gita Chapter 6 (pathtokrishna.wordpress.com)
- Considering Meditation (fremontlibraries.wordpress.com)
- Just sitting… (abuddhistsjourney.wordpress.com)
- Rubin Museum shows Bhagavad Gita film by Joshua Seftel (evolutionarymystic.wordpress.com)
- Finding Your Quiet Spot ~ Smiles and Inspiration 2012 ~ Day 50 of 366 ~ 02/19/12 (socyberty.com)
- Tapping into stillness (poeticaperture.com)
- The Gift of Stillness (galuea.wordpress.com)
- About Sitting Still (journeyofpeace.wordpress.com)
- I think, therefore I forget who I am. (michaelgraeme.wordpress.com)
- The Spiritual Way of Lao Tzu – On the Art of Living ~ by hhteam (evolutionarymystic.wordpress.com)
- Reflections: Just Sit & Be Still… (eof737.wordpress.com)
PHOTO CREDITS/ATTRIBUTIONS: All Photos from my personal collection and/or Penmaenmawr beach sands, Lao Tzu, Vancouver Greek, Evening stillness, Morning stillness, Stillness, via Wikipedia Or Heaven by Nomadic Lass, via Flickr Some Stillness quotes from BestillNow.com
Until Next Time…
Ask. Believe. Receive. ©
Elizabeth Obih-Frank
Mirth and Motivation
Positive Kismet
Trackbacks
- In the Stillness We Find « catseyesk
- Gremlins in the air? | I choose how I will spend the rest of my life
- Learn To Be Still « Spirit Lights The Way
- new myth, old god (and the origin of heaven and hell on earth) « JRFibonacci's blog: partnering with reality
- Finding the Light « tinmaddog
- Motivation Mondays: SURRENDER | Mirth and Motivation
Be still and know you are love –
Yes, we are all love… TY! We will know it when we open the door to our quiet heart.
No thought, no action, no movement, total stillness:
no music, no youtube, no dance, no hectic:
sometimes I try to live silently like my cat …
TY and I just added the perfect video for the post… Hope it’s not restricted in your part of the universe. 😉
As always, you didn’t fail to bring me motivation and positive outlook in life through this post.
Aww… Thank you so much fr your love and support. 😉
Your words certainly deserve them. 🙂
TY dear one! 🙂
I take quiet time every night before sleep. It is restorative.
Wonderful… a great way to end the day too. 🙂
What beautifully peaceful photos, too. I know when I become harried and tense that I haven’t been mindful of the quiet and that’s where I go! When I first started taking yoga classes five years ago the first thing I noted was the quiet! I think it was the peace of that environment that first brought me back again and again, because in the beginning I didn’t have a real connection to the practice. I just needed the quiet! I think we seriously benefit from disconnecting from the clamor! Debra
TY Debra! Yoga has been a lifesaver for me and you are right, disconnecting from the clamor is imperative. 🙂
Loved this post!
You thought you could find happiness
Just over that green hill
You thought you would be satisfied
But you never will-
Learn to be still …
TY Nancy for your post! It was the catalyst that prompted this post. Merci! 🙂
the practice of mindfulness especially with seated meditation has the goal of bringing both body and mind to that place of stillness. It’s a quest of mine. I try to take time each day. Always a challenge. LOVE this post!
TY Shelly! Mindfulness helps us reach stillness. 🙂
I find it such a challenge to sit and be still. Is it the go go go world around me that makes being still feel awkward? I’m not sure. It is something I need to practice.
It does take some effort as well as surrendering to the process… Yes to the impact of the go go world. However, we can also reach that place with effort and grace.. TY!
What a wonderful selection of photographs. Wouldn’t it be nice if time afforded us a little more time to simply stop and reflect on life more often? Thank you for sharing.
Yes, it would be nice…. perhaps that is why we have to seize the moment as time never waits. TY! 🙂
Thank you, girlfriend. Those quotes are perfect. You are so good. I just realized you are on twitter. duh. I got you now on all directions! (;
Have a great day and thanks so much for the calmness, peace, and sweetness you give us.
TY too girlfriend! 🙂 I will follow back next time I log into Twitter… I appreciate the feedback. 🙂
Yes!! i tunned into the same Herman Hesse quote & concept in my last post 🙂 I believe to be still, to quiet the mind and not “do” is moving fast…Beautiful images too, i especially love the 5th one. Blessings xx
Awesome! I will stop by and read yours.
Blessings too! 😉
Marvelous blog today!!! I really like the photos to go along with it too!
TY Cee! 🙂
How wonderful, you have surpassed yourself today, I would be very proud if I had created this post 🙂
TY Gilly! I’m glad you enjoyed it… I went with my inner promptings. 🙂
So beautiful and so right on. I’ve gotten much better at being still in the past few years. It’s been a conscious effort and well worth it.
LOVE the Eagles and especially this song.
Thanks!
b
TY Barb! Over the years, it’s gotten better for me too. I love, love the Eagles. 🙂
Stillnes is so very focusing and healing and strengthening. Beautiful illustrations here to help us with that. Lovely choices of quotes and scriptures, so perfectly matched. Bless you in stillness.
TY Granbee! Yes, with stillness comes all blessings. 😉
Total stillness even for a short period refreshes us and brings us back to ‘me’. Thanks for this post. I love the photos and appreciate the pingback.
I have now caught up with my reading of blogs so will be making comments again.
TY Judith for your post! It helped me reflect a lot about words and how we use them. 🙂
WordPress playing up again for me. I lost the comment I made.
I love this post and the great photos. thanks for sharing. Yes, sitting still for however short a time, brings one back to ‘me’ and this is so important for our wellbeing.
And thanks for the pingback.
Third attempt at commenting on this post – WordPress has obviously got it in for me today.
Lovely post and photos. It has really made me think – thank you for sharing and thank you for the pingback. 🙂
Oh boy Judith, contact Akismet to have them unflag you as spam. All your comments ended in my spam box. I have un-spammed you and hopefully others will too but you have to contact Akismet as well. I wrote a post about it: A Spamification Situation – hope the info in it helps.TY for your comments! 🙂
Eliz, I have to thank you for the Eagles song clip…it compelled me to be still while I listened to it and gazed at the beautiful photos. 🙂
Our world is so hectic…noisy…demanding.
Being still takes effort…but definitely worth it. 🙂
TY Viv! Love the Eagles too… Yes, stillness is much needed in our world. 🙂
Eliz…the moment I started reading your post, my heart slowed. Every photo is an echo of your text, and under each photo you placed the words: “Reflections: Just sit & be still”. The repetitive images and words had a great effect on me. My breathing was deeper and I started going into my “meditation” mode. I have a large post I’ve been working on all day…a lot of awards to hand out… I’m so glad I came here! I’m feeling much calmer now! Thank you!
TY Judy,! Your comment is inspiring and a reminder to connect with that divinity within each of us. 🙂
Great Reflections to everyone my friend 🙂
TY Jake! I appreciate the feedback. 😉
Wonderful post! Have been striving for total stillness with my two years of yoga practice! Not quite there yet 🙂 Look forward to reading more of your posts!
TY Madhu! Our yoga practice helps us reach that place .. but it does take its sweet time. Glad to connect with you too! 🙂
I could not find the stillness I needed to even read this post yesterday. I’m glad Nancy reminded me of it today. I understand the urge to find that still spot, and the sense of giving birth to something else through the stillness. I yearn for silence and stillness, but I have yet to successfully achieve it. Beautiful images. Beautiful words. Beautiful post. May your journey within bring you to another lovely place.
This is what I keep being asked to do … sit still … sit … I don’t want to … I keep pushing, going, more more more until I am burned and crispy … 🙂
Sometimes there is no substitute for being still. Thanks for the reminder Elizabeth.
Beautiful pictures. Nature is definitely by far the best teacher of balance.
I should have been sitting and being still tonight, not reading blogs on a while watching the last hours of the Awards.
Been trying to do things differently, with limited success. Thanks for this post, Elizabeth. The photos are just so soothing.
This is such an amazing collection photos and quotations. Thank you for posting this! It is so difficult to do nothing… to sit in stillness is one of the toughest things for me. I am always fluttering from one thing or thought to the next. I wonder why…
This is such a beautiful post…so filled with calmness and wisdom…thank you so much for your inspirational words,ideas and photos…
I have been feeling pulled into way too many directions…thank you for encouraging me to take the time to be still!
Hi Eliz! Just reading this made me feel peace filled. I love all your images and the first quote by Hermann Hesse is great. I just reread his Siddhartha book recently. What a classic. Thanks! Oh, and thanks for the mention in Twitter! 🙂