Formal meditation I
don’t believe is as important as stillness for most people; sitting still and
bringing both body and mind into nothing but stillness. Of course, meditation
can lead one to stillness but the whole formal act of meditation can seem
forced and unnatural. There is nothing forced about just sitting on the floor,
a pillow, a chair, a couch or whatever and just letting yourself come to a
standstill for a few minutes; the calm in the eye of the storm... I think
formal meditation would work better for those at a monastery or a center where
real life doesn’t intrude. But for those of us who live regular lives, it can
be difficult to work such a structuralized routine into the daily flow of
things; things that pollute, toxic interactions with toxic people and things. This
routine can be as much mental as physical as though the brain has some kind of
leash on it that keeps it from wandering over to the sunflowers. However,
everyone has time to just sit still for a while, at work on break or lunch, or
at home in the morning or in the evening or whenever. Stillness can help us to
clear the mind and refresh ourselves. Taking some time to listen to the quiet,
or to listen to nature, or the sounds of a city passing by can help ground us.
If we aren’t grounded, we are at risk. We are just flying all over the place
with no flight plan…this means risk of overload, losing focus, and coming
unglued. Stillness keeps all those moving parts glued together and working
properly.
