I am setting an intention to spend some time in stillness. Time to just BE, time to listen to guidance from the Divine, time to surrender.

I find this to be a healing practice for me, when life gets a little crazy; when I have decisions to make that don’t have a clear ‘better choice’; or when I feel like I just need some time to rest. Even a few moments in stillness soothe my soul. Being in stillness takes some practice though! Especially if you, like me, always have something you’re planning, preparing for, or doing. Don’t let that stop you though, the first few times I tried it, I spent most of the time thinking, “I’ll never be able to shut off my thoughts; I can’t just sit quietly; this is not working”. Just know, whatever you’re experience is, the more you do it, the better it will feel.

If you’d like to join me and you haven’t created your own stillness practice yet, here are some helpful tips to quiet your mind:

• Get Comfortable: sit or lay in a favorite place, chair, etc.; put on some soothing music or, if you’re outside, listen to the nature around you, or have no sound in the background; do whatever is best for you. Native American music is my favorite to use for this practice. Also, be sure you’re not too warm or too cold.
• Close Your Eyes and Breathe: I find it better to close my eyes; if you prefer to keep your eyes open and focus on an object near you, that works too. Cleansing Breaths, take three of them! A cleansing breath is just a deep breath. Breathe in through your nose until you feel that breath deep in your lungs, then slowly release that breath out through your mouth; feel your abdomen rise with each in breath and sink with each out breath; feel your body relax a little more with each breath.
• Smile: Use your beautiful smile as a focal point. As hundreds of thoughts come into your mind, honor them and allow them to pass right through, then bring your awareness back to your smile. Our smiles lift every part of us, they’re like a super power that we sometimes forget to use!

That’s it! Enjoy your time in stillness whether it’s for five minutes or an hour. The time is irrelevant, the benefits are invaluable.