1st November 2024
“I have so much to accomplish today that I must meditate for two hours instead of one.” ~Mahatma Gandhi
Wise words indeed from a great leader.
A man is galloping at breakneck speed on his horse and it appears as if he is going somewhere on an important and urgent mission. Another man standing along the side of the road shouts, ‘Where are you going?’ and the man on the horse yells, ‘I don’t know, ask the horse.’
Our minds are like that—we are on a runaway horse, not living in the present, unable to concentrate. Our minds are going full speed and our bodies are disconnected from our consciousness.
It’s often counterintuitive to slow down to enable yourself to achieve more.
But we need to pause,
stopping is crucial to rejuvenate and recharge.
I have adopted a ‘Pause Technique’ which I use several times a day to recharge myself.
- Stop – Press the pause button, by stopping whatever you are doing.
- Look around – arrive into the present moment, with all your senses.
- Listen – give yourself a chance to be you, in the moment. Take three mindful breaths to arrive in the moment.
If we are unable to stop, unable to rest we can’t achieve much.
In the Buddhist tradition, The practice of stopping is called ‘Samatha’
While practicing ‘Samatha,’ you are not searching for anything at all, completely at ease in the present moment. It sounds easy but it requires a strong will and practice.
Thich Nhat Hanh illustrates the practise of ‘Samatha’ – on stopping – by talking about the animal world: ‘When an animal in the forest is wounded she knows the art of stopping, of Samatha. She finds a place in the forest that is quiet and she lies down. She doesn’t think about running after another animal. She trusts in the body’s capacity to heal itself.’
Take a pause, Practise Stopping, allow the body, mind and soul to heal itself & stay blessed forever.