When was the last time you just sat still for a while?
Just sitting and being, without checking your phone or reading a book or getting lost in thought. It’s probably been quite some time, right?
Spending time just sitting is sometimes called meditation, a word that people often think of as religious. But really, it’s the simplest, most basic thing anyone can do, far beyond the purview of any one religion or belief system.
It can also be really uncomfortable, because we’re not used to being still.
After all, from the moment most of us wake up in the morning, there’s a to-do list running in our heads that we’re constantly chasing. It feels good to cross something off, but then another item gets added and off we go again.
But here’s the thing: it’s okay to put down the to-do list and just be!
Sometimes, we get a natural opportunity to do this. A quiet afternoon or a lull in the day when it feels like life is inviting us to sit and take a break. When one of these moments arises, instead of reaching for our phones, we can take advantage of the opportunity to practice being still and quiet.
It’s also worth making our own opportunities to be still. Some people like to set aside some time at the beginning or end of the day to just sit. Others find it useful in the afternoons, instead of (or in addition to) a coffee break.
There isn’t really a right or a wrong way to sit: it’s just about practicing being in your own skin.
Life is much more than an endless series of tasks. The more we can feel that, and feel a part of that, the more peace we have and the more freedom we can find in our lives, no matter what the circumstances around us may be.
See where sitting can take you!