STILLNESS IS THE MOVE
How do we find stillness within, but continue to progress in our live? This is question I have been asking myself a lot lately considering how quickly things can change! Often stillness and motion seem to be in opposition to one another, we need them both in order to create balance in life. The next question is then when am I still and when do I move? This is an ever-growing organic dance that will change from moment to moment. The first step in answering this question is observing when the mind and body is still, agitated, in motion, passive or proactive. After observation, then asking the self when are these states serving me and when are they hindering me from BEING ME!
Here is an example from my own life. I just moved to Woodstock, NY from NYC and here I am telling myself I need to be ‘still’ and surrender. This is a choice/expectation I had already set for myself before I got here! EXPECTATIONS always lead to let downs, and false ideas. This lesson sometimes is not so pleasant to experience! It can leave you paralyzed in your tracks if you are holding onto expectations, because you NEVER KNOW UNTIL YOU GET THERE! I learned this valuable lesson again this week, with lots of tears and feelings of despair. I talked to a great friend about me concerns. Being removed from the situation she offered her love and support that helped to snap me out of my self-created cloud of darkness. All because I thought things would be a certain way! I had decided I would be still before I even experienced what the situation called for!
Yesterday morning, I did the most literal thing I WENT FOR A RUN. This run was a symbol for me allowing myself to move and be proactive when I need to, and always knowing stillness in the mind and body is available even if I a literally moving. Running was my practice for the day. Its amazing how things come full circle, just a few days before I met Jogger Dan, an infamous 72 year old here in Woodstock who runs over 10 miles a day. He looks like he is under 50. We got into a conversation when I was serving him coffee and he looked at me and said “running is the best yoga”. I laughed. He predicted the predicament I had gotten myself into a few days before I found myself sitting at this crossroads. His words were very true, in that moment running was the best yoga for me!
*the title for the post is inspired by the song Stillness is the Move by the Dirty Projectors *
