Stillness & Movement
Pause for a moment.
Notice your breath.
Sense the quiet space behind this reading.
That! right there, is stillness remembering itself.
Most people think stillness means stopping. Stopping movement, stopping thoughts, or stopping emotions.
But real stillness is not the absence of movement.
It is the presence that holds all movement.
It is the quiet field in which galaxies spin, oceans rise, and hearts beat.
Stillness is not something you achieve. It is something you remember.
At first, this remembering takes discipline.
You might begin by simply sitting still, letting the body be still, but not rigid.
Then, as you notice the breath, a subtler stillness reveals itself.
Beyond that, even as thoughts rush and emotions ripple, there is a stillness beneath them too.
That stillness is your nature.
Like gravity, it doesn’t demand your attention, yet everything depends on it.
Because it is so subtle, you overlook it.
Because it is always here, you forget it.
So the practice is not about creating stillness, it is about reconnecting.
Momentary Practices
These on-the-go practices help you return to what never left:
At the airport: As the line inches forward, notice your feet on the ground. Feel the stillness holding all the motion around you.
In a traffic jam: Instead of fighting the delay, let your breath slow down. Let the stillness inside your chest expand beyond the car.
In a crowded market: Amid the noise, sense the space between sounds, that’s stillness too.
You don’t have to withdraw from the world to find peace.
You only have to stop forgetting the stillness that holds it.
Over time, the boundary between movement and stillness softens.
You may be walking, working, speaking, yet feel that stillness remains within you.
This is living stillness: movement rooted in the unmoving.
Stillness is not an act. It is being itself.
And once you taste it, even for a moment, you will recognize it everywhere.
Science and Spirit on Stillness
Neuroscience of Stillness
Modern neuroscience shows that states of still awareness — cultivated through mindfulness or breath-based presence — shift the brain from the default mode network (self-referential, story-making) to the salience and attention networks(present-moment awareness). This rebalancing reduces anxiety, enhances emotional regulation, and improves creativity.
Brain scans of long-term meditators reveal increased activity in regions linked with empathy and interoception (the awareness of inner body sensations). In essence, stillness doesn’t just calm you — it rewires you.
Physics of Presence
Even at the level of matter, everything moves within stillness. The stars swirl in a cosmic dance inside infinite unmoving space. That vast, silent backdrop reflects the human experience: thoughts and emotions whirl, but the field of awareness remains undisturbed.
Wisdom Traditions
The Upanishads call this essence Shānta Ātman: the peaceful Self that neither moves nor changes. The Bhagavad Gītā describes the realized one as “unshaken by contact with good or evil, resting in the Self, serene.” In Taoist language, this is wu wei: effortless action emerging from the still center.
Movement arises within stillness, not apart from it.
Stillness isn’t just a spiritual idea. It’s the foundation of clear seeing, wise action, and lasting wellness.
In coaching, we learn to access that still point even in motion. Then we respond rather than react, create from clarity rather than chaos. Whether you come for wellness, mindfulness, or spiritual growth, our work together helps you find that inner stillness that steadies every part of your life.