In my last blog post I discussed the problem of overwhelm which is becoming all to prevalent in our fast-paced multitasking modern society. I discussed the factors that lead to this including the increasing demands on our time and the increasing complexity of our lives which is fuelled by modern technology which allows us instant access to information and communication, most of which is not beneficial to us. I also discussed how overwhelm can harm us by leading to chronic stress which, eventually, suppresses our immune system, leading to chronic inflammation and chronic disease.
I then went to discuss the way out of overwhelm which is to stop and become still. I wanted to dive deeper into this topic in this article. Stillness is not a specific practice such as meditation, although people may try to make it a practice that they can package, market and sell. It is far more simpler than this. It is the art of accessing your Highest Self which is also called your consciousness. Your consciousness is the source of your deepest wisdom and it is your true nature. It is the part of you that is connected to all people, nature, the universe and the Source of all creation.
The way stillness helps you to access your consciousness is by giving you the experience of briefly going beyond your body, your thoughts and emotions. This is done by being in a comfortable position in a safe place with your eyes closed, if you like, and focusing on one thing. The easiest thing to focus on is your breath. You don’t need to breathe deep or breathe shallow but just to focus on your breath and how you are breathing. You can do this for as long as you’d like but ideally I recommend at least 15 to 20 minutes.
When you do this, it allows you to go beyond your body, beyond your thoughts and emotions to access that part of yourself which transcends all of these, which is what I call consciousness. This allows you to directly experience your true nature and access your infinite wellspring of peace, wisdom and abundance.
As you can see, this stillness practice goes far beyond helping you overcome overwhelm. It not only helps you to focus on what matters most in the moment but gives you access to an infinite intelligence. This can help you find solutions to your most pressing problems and concerns, give you inner serenity and calm and allow you to access your true abundance.
I recommend engaging in this stillness practice for at least 15 to 20 minutes a day and even more if you have time. Even if you feel that you can’t devote this much time, I recommend starting with just 5 minutes a day in the morning or evening because everyone wastes a lot more time than this in a typical day.
By doing this practice regularly you will begin to see and to reap the benefits over time which will motivate you to devote more time to this practice. This will lead you to an experience of true freedom which you never thought was possible. If you doubt anything that I am claiming here then don’t take my word for it but just do an experiment. Spend 5 minutes a day in stillness for the next 4 weeks and then see what happens!
Nauman Naeem MD