Slowing Down — by Ariana

Ariana on Stillness —

Being still means to step back from all the things you think you should be doing and to take more time to feel at peace within yourself. As a very stressed out student, I’ve compiled several ways I can incorporate stillness into my daily life. These ways might not work for everyone, but hopefully you’ll find a few that resonate with you or some that inspire another idea!

So here they are, my favorite ways to find stillness:

Legs up the wall is a newly discovered yoga pose I tried in class a few weeks ago (newly discovered for me at least). It’s a gentler inversion that is perfect for restoring and reenergizing. It’s exactly how it sounds: you scoot up to the wall so your entire back is flat on the floor, lift your legs straight up, and rest them on the wall. I find this gives me some time to calm my mind when I’m really stressed.

Cooking or baking are also ways I relax. I think it’s meditative to take care of the foods that are going into your body. It’s almost a way to thank them for nourishing you.

Listening to slower music while lying down or resting is really restorative for me. The headphones seem to block out my stressors for a little while. I can just appreciate the music and focus on it solely.

Having a nice conversation may seem like the opposite of being still. But when your attention is completely focused on one person and you’re really listening to what the person is staying, it’s a form of slowing down. Multi-tasking has become a valuable skill these days, but it’s not so valuable when supplementing your relationships with the people around you.

Going somewhere alone can be a beautiful experience. I find that I’m much more observant when I go places by myself. For example, the other day I went to hear an orchestra play Christmas songs at the local college, and I never felt so content. Being alone allows for a whole new perspective on events and may help you learn a few things about yourself (at least it has for me).

Painting, knitting, or embroidering are simple tasks where your mind is occupied enough to stay anchored in the present moment, but it also allows for some self-reflective freedom. Really any simple task that you enjoy can be meditative.

Being up at an odd time may not be the best for your sleep schedule, but it can be really refreshing. I think there’s both freedom and comfort in knowing that everyone around you is sleeping. Some mornings I’ll wake up at three AM feeling oddly awake. So instead of forcing myself to fall asleep again, I’ll journal or read or just sit and observe. There’s hardly anything ever going on at this time, so I find it really peaceful.

Being in nature is a beautiful way that I find peace. It reminds me that my troubles aren’t as catastrophic as I believed. Nature is reassuring, patient, and restful. It reminds me that I should be too.

Cleaning is an odd way that I find stillness. Whenever my room is messy, my mind feels messy. I can’t explain why, but the level of cleanliness and cohesion in my environment contribute a lot to my stress levels. Cleaning is again a simple task that takes a little longer so I can focus all my energy onto it while still having my mind at ease.

I hope that these several ways I find stillness inspire some of you. Some days it’s nearly impossible to gather a moment for ourselves. But I find that if I make the time to be still, I’ll always have enough time to complete the things I need to do later. Being still is much more of a mindset and can really be incorporated into everything we do.