Living From Stillness
By Sumati Ishaya
On the surface, my life is full of the same sort of daily activities and events as everyone else's. I'm happy, I like to spend time outdoors, and I appreciate the people in my life. Every so often, I lose my cool trying to get my kids out of the door in time for school. What makes my internal landscape extraordinary is my familiarity with the field of awareness that exists within us all and is the foundation of everything.
Becoming familiar with the still, silent, unmoving space has given me many things. A sense of freedom, peace and stability are just the start. My life's greatest gift is to have learned the skills to return to that space within me, no matter what. The extraordinary can also be normal.
"We are finally here to see the world as it actually is"
The absence of what was there a moment before can become very obvious when we get present. The halt of internal dialogue, judgements, memories or future-surfing, the absence of anxiety and fear. Those things (that which comes and goes) can never exist here, in this moment.
They require the mind, and the mind's timeline, which is never happening Now (trust me on this one). In that resounding silence, life becomes brighter. We are finally here to see the world as it actually is, to see magic, and to appreciate what we have.
All of this happens in an instant. Imagine the possibilities when we habitually don't follow thought streams, don't consciously entertain stress and anxiety, when we allow the body to do what it needs to, to rest, to heal.
Let Go Of The Idea Of Time And Experience Reality, Now
The only time we can experience the present moment is (yes, you guessed it) Now. So rather than reading on, let's start with that. Take a moment. Breathe in, breathe out. Notice your body for a moment. Is it relaxed? Is it quiet or noisy around you? What do you notice? Take another breath. If you have learned a meditation practice that you know brings you to the present moment, use it. Eyes-open Ascending is a brilliant tool here if you have it.
This is the building block of living from Stillness. You can only take care of Now. Each return to presence can be celebrated! Each time you remember there's more to the moment than distracted mental chatter, it is another foundation stone in your life of awareness.
"It's far simpler than it might seem"
Perhaps you already know the Stillness within yourself. If having that as an ongoing experience seems like a distant dream, fear not! It's far simpler than it might seem, but there are a few things that will help you on your way.
Firstly, learn some tools. For me, the Ishayas' Ascension practice has provided me with everything I need. It's eyes-closed meditation to reduce stress and become familiar with silence, great guidance from people who have experienced things I have, and easy techniques to be present during my day.
Familiarity helps. Knowing without doubt that the space I'm returning to is always available, that I'm in the right place, was essential to having a stable experience of Stillness. I needed help with that. I'm not sure it's something that can easily be learned in a book (I'm being generous, I have no idea how you could actually learn it from a book!).
What else helps? Set up your life in a way that supports your aim. Make time to practice meditation. Use things to remind you to get present now. Surround yourself with people to uplift and inspire you.
Keep Going, You Are On An Amazing Journey
Celebrate your return to Now. The internal happy-dance is optional, but it's great to break the habit of criticising ourselves for the moments of forgetting. Focus on the return, and don't worry about when you do forget.
The wonderful thing is, from the first moment you consciously touch Silence, there's greater peace, joy, ease and rest. And that only grows.
"The path to a life living from Stillness is increasingly joyful "
The path to a life living from Stillness is increasingly joyful. In fact, we call this the path of Joy. We take ourselves less seriously, we are less burdened, less self-conscious and less self-critical. You might not notice the difference initially, but people around you will pick up on it.
I can tell you what living from Stillness means to me, but I'd be genuinely excited if this helped inspire you to do the same. Tell me what your life is like with an ongoing experience of Peace. What has it brought you? What disappeared without you even noticing? That is a true adventure!