Power in the Pause: How to Practice Stillness and Why it Matters

What if I told you that deep within your center is a space that holds the keys to a fulfilling existence?  

What if I told you, that within your being is an abundance of peace, love, and deep relaxation that you can tap into at any time? 

It’s true. And there’s no secret code, no formula, and no cost. This fountain of grace and peace is accessible for everyone through the practice of stillness. 

On the surface, stillness seems simple, but within it, there is immense power. 

Yet, many of us find it hard to sit still. We simply don’t have the time, or when we do, we come to stillness only momentarily, jolted by racing thoughts or the desire to fidget.

Stillness doesn’t necessarily have to mean an absence of physical movement. It can mean slowing down enough to notice, to be aware. It means taking the time to refill your cup, to forget the “doing” for a moment and simply be. 

Stillness goes hand in hand with mindfulness. And the benefits of mindfulness are expansive. 

So how can we invite more of these moments of stillness into our daily lives? And what kind of profound impact might it make? 

Let’s get into some practical ways that you can cultivate more stillness and the benefits of stillness that make it such an essential to true well-being. 

How to Practice Stillness 

It’s no secret that our society idolizes busyness. Most of us are always on the go, and we put a lot of value into how hard we are working. Balancing a career, social life, family, and all the other obligations often leave us with little time to slow down. 

Movement is an essential part of life, but in the same way that you can’t have light without the dark, you cannot have movement without stillness, or play without pause. 

For many people, the constant hustle eventually leads to burnout. Anxiety and depression are extremely prevalent, and we have a hard time “shutting off” without the use of drugs or alcohol. 

When life is hectic, it may seem counterintuitive, if not impossible, to practice stillness. But by taking the time to slow down, we can actually create more time and space in our lives. 

Incorporating moments of stillness into even the busiest life is possible and can have profound benefits. Let’s get into a few different practices that can help you cultivate more stillness and ultimately more presence and connection. 

Pranayama 

Take a big breath in. 

Now hold it for a couple of counts. 

Do you feel the stillness in the pause between your inhales and exhales? Ancient yogis call this kumbhaka or breath retention and it’s a powerful part of a pranayama (or breath control)  practice. 

This pause cultivates a sense of peace and stillness. It’s the important in-between that happens after a big breath in and before a breath out. Honoring this pause, maybe even playing with it, helps us to intentionally recognize and honor stillness. 

Breathwork invites us to check into the body in a unique way. The breath moves in and out, and the mind slows. Our focus and awareness is trained on the breath which allows all other thoughts to dissipate. This is a beautiful way to slow down and practice a mindful pause. 

Yoga Asanas

Our yoga asanas (the physical postures) often involve a lot of moving from place to place. However, in all styles of yoga, we find the opportunity to practice stillness within the different shapes. 

Finding stillness in a challenging posture allows you to dig a little deeper, to meet your edge.  We also may practice a gentler form of stillness in our restorative or Yin practices. Longer holds encourage you to settle in and find stillness so that the pose can do its work. 

Usually, our final posture in a full yoga practice is Savasana or corpse pose. For this pose, the practitioner enjoys a resting position on the floor, typically flat on the back with legs and arms extended. In this posture, it is sometimes easier to let the body relax and the muscles grow heavy. 

However, it is often in this pose, when we have nothing else to do, that the mind really starts to wander. Savasana is a great place to check-in and notice your own reaction to stillness. It gives you an insight into how you respond to the opportunity to simply rest. 

All you have to do is notice. Over time, you may find that you are able to settle into moments of stillness more easily. 

Meditation 

When thinking about a “stillness practice”, meditation may be the first thing that comes to mind. The thoughts that follow may sound like:

“I don’t have time for that!” or “I’m not good at meditating.” 

Once again, this is a great way to check-in, and notice (without judgment) the resistance that you feel towards simply sitting still. 

There’s an old zen proverb that says, “If you don’t have time to meditate for an hour every day, then you should meditate for two hours.” Seems contradictory right? What it is saying is that meditation is of the utmost importance, and if you aren’t able to see its benefit, you may need it even more. 

Sitting still is not always easy. Meditation is the best way to train our minds for doing just that. With meditation, we focus on the place in between thoughts. We focus on stillness. 

Mudras are hand gestures and mantras are repetitive sounds or phrases. We can use both of these things within a meditation practice to help train the mind. Once again, stillness doesn’t have to be a complete lack of movement, just an intentional slowing down, challenging the body and mind’s need to always be on the go. 

Benefits of Practicing Stillness 

“All men's miseries derive from not being able to sit quietly in a room alone.”― Blaise Pascal

There are immense benefits to be had from practicing stillness. These benefits affect you on energetic and physical levels. 

Practicing stillness can positively change how you relate and react to the world around you. Ultimately, stillness can create more self-awareness, mindfulness, and presence in your daily life. 

Stillness and the energetic body 

On an energetic level, we need stillness. 

In yoga philosophy, stillness is related to the 2nd or Sacral chakra, the Svadhisthana which has to do with physical sensation. This chakra governs sexuality and intimacy as well as your creativity and self-expression. 

Stillness can soothe our sacral chakra by allowing us to connect to ourselves through emotional, sensual, and creative expression, leading to the expansion of consciousness. 

Stillness allows us to harness our energy through the conservation of it and helps us to refill our vessels. As we incorporate stillness along with our other spiritual practices, we find a beautiful balance of retaining and releasing energy that helps us move through the world with more ease. 

Outward expressions of a stillness practice 

When we take on a stillness practice, with intention, we will begin to notice many benefits in our daily lives. There is magic and beauty to be found in every moment, and it’s easy to miss if you don’t slow down. 

Not only do moments of stillness open our eyes to the wonders all around us, but these moments also provide us a deeper connection to what’s going on internally as well. As we quiet the mind, we can begin to listen to the voice of our soul or our intuition. 

When we live our lives from this place of connection, we can trust our internal guide and always feel the light of the divine shining upon us. 

We learn how to lean into the pause more often, checking in with stillness before we act or speak. We learn not to live our lives in a reactionary state and become more receptive through this softening. This can improve all of our relationships, including the one we have with ourselves. 

Invite more “being” into your “doing”

“Within you, there is a stillness and a sanctuary to which you can retreat at any time and be yourself.” - Herman Hesse

Stillness is one of the most accessible practices we can do and brings about some of the most powerful results. 

A key element in living your best life is finding the time, the rituals, the practices to experience your soul through stillness. Stillness is essential to vitality and to be fully awake in this journey of life.

It allows us to see the sacredness of everyday existence, the magic in the moment, and to shift perspective and expand in consciousness for our own good and the collective.

When we learn to incorporate more mindfulness into our lives by slowing down and practicing stillness, then we are able to have a better balance of being vs. doing. Eventually, we can even incorporate more “being” into our “doing”, inviting mindfulness into even the most hectic of schedules.