In the Stillness

It is Her nature to dance with great joy, and therefore there is always a gentle motion, a slight sway in your being, even when you are absolutely still. - Swami Chidvilasananda

This has been a particularly quiet winter for me… Traveling back and forth from CO to MA is no longer part of my reality. After 5 years, I have manifested “normalcy” again. The breast cancer heaing process has kept me close to home. Arriving in the place of Self as Teacher, I am needing to stay quiet and listen to my inner wisdom for the subtle, and not always so subtle, messages my body is sending me to continue my healing process.

I am faced with endless amounts of quiet, empty time, that I am SO tempted to fill. My first response was to call on friends to stop by and entertain me with conversation. That has been nice. When I am not socializing, I discover all those undone projects…filing, arranging plants to create a jungle in my home, reconnecting with old friends via phone and email, practicing the piano, deepening my meditation practice, and FINALLY, deepening my self care. Interesting how that came last…

During this empty time, I am discovering how much I want to fill my time and also how much I have forgotten my Self. How much of Self I have left behind as I fill my time with activities that some how validate my existence…friends, more work and income, developing my abilities to serve others. But what about using this time to fill, what for so many years has been emptied for service, money and self validation.

I am now finding time, for the activities that serve me and my healing…filling me…filling Self, as Goddess/God had always intended. Treating my body as a temple…honoring her, worshiping her, decorating her, gifting her… healing her.

I invite you to take advantage of the quiet, still time to create spaciousness in your life. Allow time for the parts of Self to unfold. Notice what Self is asking for.

Is it self care that you have been neglecting?… Physical therapy exercises? A daily yoga practice? Meditation? Healing baths vs. quick showers? Are you getting enough sleep? Taking

the time to prepare healthy meals?

Or is it a creative project that feeds your soul?…Have you been desiring to take up painting or playing a musical instrument? Knitting? Sewing? Creating herbal products for yourself and your family?

As you spend time in stillness in your home, you may discover new simple ways to arrange your home so that it serves you?… Plants? An altar? Add a humidifier or an air purifier, or both?
Is there a book you’ve been wanting to read, that you know will deepen your well being?
What else shows itself to you during this still time?

If you are someone who continues to be busy during the winter, then how can you create more stillness in your life? Is it necessary for you to work so many hours? Can you take some space and figure out how to streamline your schedule? Are you using your time in a way that best serves Self? Are you living for others needs and not your own? God/Goddess wants us to be happy and healthy, not depleted and overworked. When we get into that state, we really aren’t serving anyone in a quality way. However, when we are living our bliss, healthy and easeful, our gifts unfold naturally and effortlessly and abundance flows into our lives. We attract in this healthy state of being…rested and fulfilled.

It can be scary to have empty time. Why is it scarey for you? I invite you to find the courage to sit in stillness and wait for something to show itself to you that nurtures Self. If you are at all like me, someone who has been on the move my whole life, the stillness can be unsettling. Try playing soothing music, do restorative yoga and meditation. You are still…doing, which your mind likes, but you are allowing spaciousness in your body, mind and spirit for something new to come in…new wisdom and awareness.

Moving beyond the giving of Self to others or busying oneself to fill empty time, can be a process, with layers of transformation. Life coaching, Yoga Lifestyle Counseling and Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy are ways to peel back the layers and focus your life in a way that serves Self. When you are ready, I am available to assist you on your journey to Self. For more info on these offerings visit http://www.pranaheals.com/.

Enjoy the winter with ease, light and love…radiating the yoga from your being.

Namaste. Jai Ma!Prana

As She gently moves in and around you, She sings to Herself. So listen to the sound She makes. Whatever you hear, every sound manifests from her. As you become absorbed in the inner sound of the Shakti, you glide into meditation. Your breath is Her whisper. Your breath is Her song. Your breath is Her dance. To please Shakti, to awaken Her within us, and to keep Her glory manifest in our being, we chant Her own song to Her - the sound of Om.

- Swami Chidvilasananda