Throughout August, I’ll be sharing tips and techniques I use to help me center and feel better in about 5 minutes or less!
Another way I center is to get quiet. It’s not about the volume or activity going on around me. It’s about the volume and activity going on inside of me – slowing my thoughts down, quieting my mind, slipping back into the space of inherent peace within me.
As I quiet down within myself, I feel more centered, more present in my body, more aware. In that quiet space, things happen more easily. I see things more clearly (from a higher perspective), answers and solutions appear, ideas pop up, guidance comes through from my spirit team and I really feel the connection to my higher self/divinity. These things are happening all the time, even when my mind is racing or I’m juggling the everyday stuff of life. But with all the noise and activity of the outside world, it’s like trying to hear a whisper on a busy NY street. By getting quiet, it’s now like hearing a whisper in a Zen garden. Way easier!
Getting quiet for me can happen in different ways. It’s usually sitting down, closing my eyes, taking a couple of deep breaths and turning within. Sometimes it’s easier, everything sort of falls away and it’s like I’m floating. Other times, it’s not as easy to let go of the thoughts, to stop thinking about something. So I focus on just slowing things down, maybe focus more on my breathing. There are times, like at my part-time job, where I don’t have the time to turn within. So I close my eyes and just take some deep breaths.
Getting quiet doesn’t have to look like traditional meditation. I can get quiet as I do things that are repetitive or don’t require much thought. You know, where you’re doing one thing, but your mind can wander. For me, that’s washing the dishes, vacuuming, out for a walk, gardening. I’ve had some interesting things comes through in those types of activities because my mind was quiet.
I can also get quiet even when there’s a lot of noise or activity around me. It takes a little more focus. Sure, having silence or some peaceful, meditative music is more conducive. But there’s something about being able to tune out the nearby lawn mower or leaf blower when I’m out on my patio. Or the hustle and bustle around me when I’m out in public. It’s empowering to experience that level of focus, to know you are in control of yourself!
