As a child I loved ‘snowstorms.’ I don’t mean real snow storms, there weren’t many of those in the South West where I grew up, not like here in the wilds of the North-East. No, I’m talking about those transparent globes, with miniature scenes locked inside: penguins, snowmen, carol-singers, houses among the Christmas trees, skaters on a pond – globes which you held in your hand, shook then watched the snow fall and finally settle.
My mind has been a bit like a snowstorm this week; stirred up and not necessarily to good effect but on Thursday my novel-group writers Joy and Geri helped me find some stillness just by being the lovely, wise people they. They settled the snow, reminding me of what’s important. So did this when it appeared in my mailbox this morning.
Absolute Stillness
If you wish to cultivate absolute stillness and clarity of mind… sit down and imagine yourself on a peaceful shore or by a tranquil lake. If the mind is a snow globe whirling with thoughts …then the winds of internal energy and self-seeking – analyzing, evaluating, pushing and pulling, based on likes and dislike – are what keep it stirred up… Let the snow globe of your heart and mind settle by relaxing, breathing deeply a few times, and releasing all the tension, preoccupations, and concerns you’ve been carrying—at least for the moment. Let the gentle tide of breath carry it all away like the ocean’s waves, like a waterfall washing your heart, mind, and spirit clean, pure, and bright.
– Lama Surya Das, “Be Still”
Shake the snowstorm and let it settle
