Stress is the great equalizer. Even in calmer times, this condition of our daily lives can deplete energy levels, wreak havoc on our immune systems, and become a destructive force to our mental health. In fact, mismanaged or protracted stress has been found to be a major cause of anxiety and depression.
While there’s a litany of effects that stress has on our behaviors, bodies and moods, one of the best defenses we have is to tune it out by tuning into ourselves through stillness. The practice of mindfulness and meditation was refined in Eastern medicine, religion and philosophies but has made its way deep into Western culture for good reason. In a world that’s as fast-paced and on-demand as ours, the art of remaining still has proven to have a positive impact on our overall well being.
Pico Iyer—a famed British essayist and novelist—presents a calm and meditative delivery of practices that he describes as “The Art of Stillness” in this 15 minute TED Talk.
As you begin to wrap up your week, use the themes from this video to think about how you can incorporate moments of stillness of your own to settle yourself amongst the commotion. Making a habit out of this practice is assured to bring you calm clarity and a perspective that makes you more deeply attuned with the world around you.
“The answers you seek never come when the mind is busy, they come when the mind is still.”
– Leon Brown
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