Finding the Right Space for Yourself
In New York City, it is nearly impossible to find a space that doesn’t require an occupancy fee. Wasn’t there some guy that was quoted saying, “There is no free lunch?” Even finding a nice place to sit can be incredibly difficult, with lunch rush hours expelling workers from office buildings to fill every last seat in parks and delis. What the city seems to be meant for is a) running and b) working. Those who run are running to work, and those who are working are working to get back to running. In terms of finding a safe, quiet, and sacred space, it seems we’ve created quite the challenge for ourselves…is there any hope for stillness amidst all the city clamor and chaos?
Personally, I’ve taken small steps towards maintaining a sacred space. I’ve taken it upon myself to sage my apartment every few weeks. I practice mindful meditation for ten minutes before going to bed and immediately after waking up in the morning. I slowly count my breaths as I walk down the busy streets. Sometimes I wear earplugs when the noise gets too extreme for my senses.
But more importantly, I’ve started practicing cultivation of my own sacred space by embodying the right to be still.
What do I mean by that? By embodying the right to be still, we give credence to our wiser and calmer nature and realize that there is a lot of productivity in stillness. It’s as if we’ve signed a contract with ourselves that we have made a mind+body retreat to excavate the junk, and we become super aware of our individual self just for a moment.
At our best, I believe the most advanced yogis are able to create a safe space by radiating their calming energy around them. Like a shaman shining light in the dark, these people are capable of enriching the feeling or “vibe” of a room.
However, I realize New York City poses the utmost challenge to even the calmest characters, with so many elements and factors to catch us off our guard. You just miss your train, get stuck in traffic, or have a miscommunication with a coworker, friend, or family member. All of these things can challenge our stability, and ultimately can hinder our ability to surrender to blissful stillness.
Ironically, I would guess that 99.9% of New Yorkers want to be able to find balance in stillness inside of them just as much as the rest of us do. There is no clean-cut answer to finding balance and stillness in a chaotic environment, whether in New York City, Chicago, or Detroit. However, what we do have control over some key players in our own system:
Breath
Listen to the breath, the texture of it running in and out of the lungs, the space it fills as you inhale, and the muscles that engage as you exhale. Count breaths as you go throughout your day. As you travel throughout your day, I personally challenge you to count your breaths to 100. It’s harder to do than it sounds.
Body Awareness
Check in with your body’s posture when you are in an uncomfortable situation: are your shoulders up? Is your jaw clenched? Are the shoulders rounded forward? Do a self-check and ask yourself where the body secretly might be holding tension.
Thought Awareness
Become aware of your inner voice. Does it sound nice to you? Or maybe does it say things that make you feel bad about yourself, and think a certain way about the world? Begin to notice your thinking “style.”
These simple techniques are a jolt of medicine; they instantly zoom me back into my body. Once I’m back in, I can tell what it is I need in order to feel better. But many times, the answer comes in waves of blissful silence. In the quiet, a whispering voice sometimes speaks up and calls to me: “Everything you need is already inside you. You have been and will continue to be whole.” Before I can memorize the sound and spirit of the voice speaking to me, it is gone, and I am back in my pursuit to find stillness. I like to think that when we quiet the mind, the real and true essence of our spirit and body can return to its seat at the heart.
In stillness, the gift of personal growth arrives.
Now go out and fly.
Lindsay
