It seems like chaos and questions abound in our world, and the media is sure to remind us of that all the time… It can be overwhelming and sometimes frightening. So how do we live with the sanity and peace we so crave and long for in our being? Our body/mind needs stability, which is different than security or certainty. It is more akin to resilience and inner steadiness, a place of calm to return to in yourself. The ability to anchor in your self, to return to your own ground rhythm and true north, is so important in our world. It takes practice, yes, but without it’s as if we are buffeted by the winds and waves at the surface of the sea. With practice, we can learn to dive deep below the surface and learn to anchor there.
Our capacity to anchor in stillpoint is one we can develop, we can actually train our nervous system to expand its window of tolerance for inner stillness. Your nervous system learns from your experience, so it can learn anew with practice. Short pauses of conscious breath throughout the day and simple meditation practices that help develop your ability to sit without stimulation for a few minutes at a time, when done daily, will build your capacity for this stillpoint stability. Time in nature away from devices, deep listening practices and body/mind arts and therapies like Yoga can also help train your nervous system in this way. Of course, there are many other benefits of these practices, but for me, the jewel of them is the feeling of inner ground and stillness that develops, an inner anchor and sanctuary from where I can witness…and choose how to respond in each moment.
There are so many things we cannot control, but we can choose to train our own attention and our nervous system. Even though fear and uncertainty arise, with practice, we can learn return to our inner stillpoint and stabilize again and again. When we build that capacity in ourself, we in turn share that with others and influence the field of energy we are immersed in. We can be, in our own inner being, a ‘stillpoint in the turning world’. (TS Eliot)