Stillness = Happiness

" To the mind that is still, the whole universe surrenders." ~ Lao Tsu

Peace and tranquility in our hearts is what stillness means.  It means remaining centered and focused on what matters most even if challenges occur.  We are actually born with an endless supply of these and as babies, that is our goal, to remain peaceful and happy.  In fact, if you think about a baby, they have no point of reference for happiness, they only know what they feel and what they feel is the energy coming from people, places and things and how that makes them feel, happy, or sad.  For exemple, if you smile at a baby, the baby normally smiles back, right? Why? Because a smile, if genuinely from the heart, emmits positive energy and the baby feeds off of that. That is stillness at its purest.  Simple enough.  As adults, we have that same ability, the major difference now is that we have "learned' to rationalize and analyze everything thus drowning out the most basic feelings.  Our minds are what prevent us at once from this stillness and at the same time allows us to have it.  So, what I'm sure you would like to know is how do I achieve this stillness, right? Here it goes:

Meditation or prayer...whatever makes you feel most comfortable and works for you.  For me, its meditaion.  I have been doing it since I was a child.  It is a way to "still" and calm the mind and has undeniable emotional and physical benefits. Physical activity releases endorphins and makes us feel a sense of euphoria, which is amazing however I cannot stress how important relaxation is to the body, mind and spirit.  I am currently reading Super Rich by Russell Simmons and although the title is misleading, he is actually referring to and I quote: " A state where you are fully conscious of and connected to the world around you and the God inside you. Where you walk through life with a smile on your face and give without expectation." and "When you can be happy and comfortable in every position, or situation, that you encounter in life, then all the obstacles that you perceive as standing between you and happiness will gradually disappear." When I read these, I thought to myself, well that's the entire purpose here.  And the way to quiet our minds, or "monkeys jumping from thought to thought" as Buddhists refer to the mind, is through meditaion or prayer.  Personally, I used to try to quiet my thoguhts and ignore them by breathing them out but I recently discovered that by acknowledging these thoughts and then letting them go, I can return to meditation more rapidly.  For me, now everyone has their own preferences,  I like to lay down on the floor with arms and legs comfortably open and relaxed, wearing comfortable clothing and a dim or dark room with relaxation music playing in the background is what my method is.  I use breathing techniques and sometimes even Om for focusing better.  I choose not to be disturbed by the outside noises and often use them to relax instead.  A good 20 minutes a day is all you really need.  Of course for many, laying still for 20 minutes when there are 1 000 things to do doesn't seem like a priority but believe me, once you start, you will notice your day moving with such ease and the stress of the 1 000 things won't even phase you.  I actually suggest starting with 3 minutes and see what happens.  As you learn to relax...you will want to continue longer.  I have been to meditation classes at a Tibetan Center and Geshe Kyab said that he meditates for 4 straight hours...he said the building can collapse from under him and he wouldn't even be disturbed from being in such deep meditaion....amazing.  He also spent 27 years in Tibet meditating.....something most of us wont be able to do.  In any case, we must do what works for us.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vc6VqCdOqpY&feature=related   Here is some meditation music for you to start and see how you feel afterwords.

This is a gift you can give yourself: a peaceful, quiet, pure and non-judgemental mind....what is better than this.  Going through life will be a breeze and you will always be in a higher state of consciousness .

Sending you peace, love and light. Sash