Hosting dinner parties is something my friends and I do quite a bit. Bringing people together around a table, planning and serving a beautiful meal, inviting lively (and sometimes, challenging) conversation satisfies our stomachs and souls. After having my friends over for the inaugural dinner party at my new place, I received the most beautiful thank you note in the mail. It was hand-painted and hand-written. That note got me thinking about Fall, and ways to surrender to the change of pace of my favorite season.
Doing nothing isn’t as simple as it sounds. When a break from the busy appears on our agenda, an underlying sense of unease often emerges along with it. The reaction is quick: Fill the empty space with doing, because that’s what we know how to do.
This card is a one-way ticket back to your sanity and self through stillness. It simply invites you to sit quietly and rest, which might be considered a radical act of being.
Your mind and breath are excused from this sit. Your body, on the other hand, requires your undivided attention. So, it’s helpful to take a little extra time up front to fully connect with whatever you’re sitting on today. It’s completely normal if you find it challenging to sit still at first. If you do, try imagining you are a statue. Or a mountain. Or maybe even a statue sitting on a mountain. You may also find it’s uncomfortable to really be “in” your body. If you do, know that, like everything in nature, the discomfort is temporary. Be gentle and practice giving yourself permission to just be and breathe. Let’s sit.
Write about your experience with stillness. Did you feel bored? Anxious? Irritated? Relaxed? What was it (if anything) that kept you from being still today? What might shift if you gave yourself permission to set aside a little time to do nothing each day?
Much like doing, being is a skill that can be cultivated through practice, patience, and commitment. Instead of wearing busy as a badge of honor, you have a choice: Continue looking for ways to fill the empty spaces, or start looking for opportunities to embrace the experience of being. Maybe you’ll find them at your bedside before your feet hit the ground in the morning. Or behind your computer screen while it’s in sleep mode. Or sitting still in rush-hour traffic, going nowhere fast.
Stillness
clarity
The answer is always there. Sometimes it’s floating just under the surface, easy to access. Other times it’s deep down inside and can only be received when we consciously get out of our own way.
This card shines a light on your true path by reuniting you with your intuition. It invites you to visit the well of wisdom that rests deep in your center and waits for you to draw a sip of true knowing from it. When you make decisions and lead from this place, you’ll always be guided in the right direction.
The secret to this sit is giving yourself permission to think less and feel more. Remember, you aren’t asking your mind for the answer (though it will happily offer you its opinions). You’re checking in with your body, because it’s the most reliable compass when looking for guidance and direction. Be open to the idea of the answer coming in the form of a felt sense, an image, or a voice. And trust. If you feel disconnected or get distracted at any point, gently reconnect with the breath and return to the stillness within. Let’s sit.
Free-write about today’s experience without judgment. Your intuition is dictating and you’re simply taking notes.
Deep inner listening gives you access to invaluable insights and information. When you find yourself in a state of indecision or uncertainty, take a few minutes to tune in and do some internal investigating by asking yourself, “What do I need?” Or “What should my next step be?” The more you practice connecting with, respecting, and listening to your intuition, the more you’ll come to trust that you are your own best advisor.
Hosting dinner parties is something my friends and I do quite a bit. Bringing people together around a table, planning and serving a beautiful meal, inviting lively (and sometimes, challenging) conversation satisfies our stomachs and souls. After having my friends over for the inaugural dinner party at my new place, I received the most beautiful thank you note in the mail. It was hand-painted and hand-written. That note got me thinking about Fall, and ways to surrender to the change of pace of my favorite season.
