It’s too quiet to think!
This is what so many of my clients tell me when I ask them to sit in stillness.
They are uncomfortable. Fidgety. There is nothing to distract them from the silence. Even with all of the scattered thoughts running through their minds, it becomes too quiet to think.
And this is exactly where I am hoping they get.
Because sometimes we need to just STOP THINKING.
Sometimes we need to stop trying to figure things out, stop planning every moment and just BE with our feelings. BE with the void of thought. BE in that sacred space where our deeper knowing can begin speak to us.
I remember one of the first times I sat in a group, practicing meditation. We were listening to a CD of a woman asking us to sit still and just notice everything we thought, felt, imagined, but not stay with any one thought.
She wanted us to let our thoughts float past us, making room for whatever came next. And through it all, she wanted us to be still. Even if we had an itch, we should try not scratch it.
Of course, I immediately felt a tickle on my ear, then under my nose, and all I could focus on was NOT moving, NOT scratching, just BEING still.
And it worked. Several moments passed when I realized that I had, in fact, stopped thinking.
Today, many years later, I love the times when I can sit in stillness and not think.
Thinking is work. Thinking is heavy brain mojo. Thinking can easily become a full-time, over-time job.
But watching my thoughts, detached from them, is peaceful. I don’t have to DO anything about them or with them. I can just notice them and let them go.
And now, after many years of practice, there are often big expanses of space between the thoughts where there is absolutely nothing crowding my mind.
And it is in those empty spaces that a completely new idea will appear, glowing and important, and it fills that silent space with a loud new voice.
This is where creativity lives. This is where our hearts speak. This is where our dreams are born.
So why not try it.
Find a quiet space in your day and just sit for five minutes. You may want to set a timer, otherwise you’ll think you’re done after only 30 seconds.
Just sit and notice your thoughts without getting stuck on any particular idea. Just notice and then let it go. Like clouds in the sky.
Practice this every day and, I promise, it will get easier and less uncomfortable.
Like anything we do, it is the practice, the repeating of a new activity or thought or non-thought, that builds our strength and stamina and brings us to the new level we desire.
I’d love to hear your thoughts. You can post them below by clicking on the Comments.
Just what I needed to hear! Namaste! from Julie, via email
Beautiful blog! Such a good reminder…this summer with the boys home I have gotten away from my meditation practice in the morning…what an amazing way to begin the day. It sometimes feels like there isn’t time to be still and meditate, but what I have found is that by taking the time to be still I am more focused and can get more done with less time, the quality of what I am doing elevates and I FEEL AMAZING doing it! Once again…trusting your gut and going with what was there for you – created a perfect blog post!
I love this!