Please Slow Down (pt. 2): Possibilities of Stillness

Stop. Be Still. What do you notice?

Hello, again, dear ones! :) Thank you for being here.

If you haven’t already, please slow down and read Part 1 of this newsletter series.

Today, we focus on the possibilities of slowing down into stillness.

One important note: Slowing down does not fix or eliminate problems. It does not suddenly make everything match our ideals. We are not able to control every thought, feeling, or event just because we slow down.

Slowing down does not make life perfect, but it does make life more possible. *

The more we slow down and notice each moment, ourselves, and how we respond to different sensations and situations, the more we can become aware of when we feel open or closed.

Practicing stillness is the entry point to living with awareness.¹

To be open is to be emotionally available and willing to interact with the world. When we are open, we have the capacity and resources to be present with our internal and external experiences, to listen, connect, give, and receive.

To be closed means we have limited energy (e.g., out of battery or bandwidth) and need to pause and rest. When we are closed, we recognize that we cannot engage in a practice, conversation, or activity because we need to give ourselves space to recharge and reset.

The rhythm of opening and closing can be observed in our bodies and the natural world.

Pause for a minute and notice what ebbs and flows in the stillness.

Sometimes, it is as brief as the blink of our eyes, the beat of our heart, or our breath. Other times, it takes hours or more, such as the cycles of our digestion, sleep, or healing of wounds.

In nature, we might witness phases of change within a day, a moon cycle, or a season. Tides rise and fall within hours. Buds turn to blooms within days. Leaves change color and fall to the ground within weeks. Ecosystems stabilize within generations.

Becoming still clarifies the movement of our own pace and rhythms.

When we give ourselves permission to open and close as needed, we can move through the world with greater clarity, compassion, and intention.

One morning in 2018, I was heading to a coffee shop to work and was struck by the splendor of the pink water lily in a silver bucket in someone’s front yard. I paused and took this picture with delightful appreciation, then went inside and worked for several hours. When I left that evening, I went to see the flower again and noticed it had closed itself for the night.

How beautiful and necessary it is to let ourselves rest.

water lily teaching us how to open and close

I’ll return next week with an urgent poem begging us to slow down even more.

Feel free to comment or reach out and let me know how this message feels for you. I am practicing right here with you, finding ways to be still amidst so much movement, uncertainty, and change.

With love, in stillness,

💖Marissa

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* Inspired by the wisdom of Flint Sparks as taught to me by Kelly Lindsey. 💞

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1. Stillness does not mean being like a statue. We can allow for our humanness, our wiggles and wobbles. Bring a generous amount of curiosity to your urge to keep going, moving, and doing. This is a powerful edge to explore. Before you adjust your position or reach for a distraction, what is it like to stay still, soften, and see what arises? Try it… And remember, it is important to support your capacity to be with the discomfort that sometimes comes with stillness. What gives you the mental, emotional, physical, and/or spiritual resources you need to be still? Begin and end with kindness.