Embracing Stillness and Presence

"To know yourself as the Being underneath the thinker, the stillness underneath the mental noise, the love and joy underneath the pain, is freedom, salvation, enlightenment." ~ Eckhart Tolle

When we finally slow down and check in with ourselves at the end of a busy day, we can see how far we have disappeared into identifying with our thoughts and the day's unfolding. The power of distraction can steal our attention, while chaos and turmoil are like giant magnets that pull us away from our center. Before we know it, we've entered a mental hamster wheel of intrusive, repetitive thinking that keeps us from fully engaging with life. From the other end of the spectrum, presence and stillness allow us to respond to life with clarity and intention instead of reacting without conscious thought or consideration. When we quiet our minds, we can simultaneously be present in our inner stillness and aware of outside distractions. Experiencing' being' and 'doing' in unison invites more peace and joy and allows us to engage more fully with life.

When we experience the stillness behind our thoughts, we are more fully connected and aligned with our true selves. There are many tools to help us relax and detach from our mind chatter and invite more presence in our lives, like meditation, mindfulness apps, and being outside and connecting with Nature. The essences we are featuring this month help quiet our overactive minds and allow us to remain present and calm within moments of mental noise and chaos so we can stay on a mindful track instead of a mindless hamster wheel. They teach us to be present and centered in a world of distractions while accessing the silent watcher, our conscious observer of reality.

Cassandra - encouraging stillness of mind
Cassandra is helpful when we have difficulty shifting our attention and perspective from the outer world to our inner world or when we feel distracted and unable to relax into a meditative state. Cassandra encourages stillness of mind that helps us 'be' while we 'do.' It also promotes sensory relaxation so our perceptual focus can turn inward and align with the ebb and flow of our life essence. Cassandra is also helpful in space clearing to bring calm, quiet energy into a work environment, which is very beneficial for people who have jobs that require a strong mental focus over long periods.

Aquamarine – returning to a state of calm mental alertness
Aquamarine gem elixir brings a calm, cooling clarity to an overactive mental body. When there is too much mental stimulation, we may lose focus and become irritable and agitated. The preventive action of aquamarine creates a mental oasis of clear receptivity, reversing the effects of overwhelm and overstimulation. It does this by helping us monitor the degree of mental stimulation we allow into our lives like a temperature gauge while providing non-reactive energy to slow down and calm our minds before they become wired or overheated. It is beneficial when the mind, and consequently the nervous system, has been in a prolonged state of excitation and arousal. Children and adults who are behind screens a lot are particularly susceptible to this. Aquamarine counters overstimulation by stabilizing and re-grounding the connection between the soul, mind, and heart. It encourages us to move our focus inward, which in turn slows down the rate of input. We can then easily return to a calm state of mental alertness.

Valerian – encouraging comfort and relaxed alertness
Valerian flower essence is calming and energizing when we feel agitated and scattered and have difficulty relaxing the mind and body. It brings a feeling of relaxed alertness—of being at rest and having energy simultaneously. This essence is essential for those of us who are regularly too busy and often push ourselves past the point of tiredness. Valerian can help us find a natural balance between action and rest to be mentally focused when we want or need to and then return to a state of peace and relaxation. Valerian advocates the enjoyment of the moment over worry about the future. It encourages a heart-based sensory experience of life over a thought-based mental experience. As we slow down and sense the moments of our day, our appreciation of everything increases.

Red Elder – returning to center when we're unfocused and scatttered
Red Elder flower essence brings feminine, nurturing, gentle, and soft energy to those who try to manage and keep track of everything in their lives. When we rely primarily on our mental forces, we can disassociate from our bodies and become unfocused. This essence helps contract an overly expanded state of being to view life from our center rather than the periphery. It improves our grounding and physical presence by releasing mental and emotional tension into the Earth and inviting us back to our center to enjoy the bounty of life within our bodies. Most importantly, this essence radiates a message from the Earth that all is well to help us participate more fully in the co-creative life cycle. As we receive more nourishment from our physical environment, we are better equipped to nurture the Earth and others.

Jadeite Jade – encouraging peace, balance, and presence
Jadeite Jade gem essence offers an energy of ease, simplicity, and protection that allows the heart to be at peace and rest. It also works on the mental level by helping us open to the timelessness of the present moment. This essence reveals how relaxation moves us back to our center and how anxiety, stress, and struggle move us away from the present moment. In more extreme cases, Jadeite Jade can help reverse an over-identification with chaos and addiction to drama by penetrating through our tendency for striving, busyness, and confusion. Jadeite Jade reminds us that we can rest in our center because there is nowhere else we need to be. When we are centered and content with where we are, our soul, personality, heart, and mind resonate in a symphony of being that is uniquely beautiful.

Star Ruby - focus, grounding, and awareness in the present moment
Star Ruby gem elixir is helpful when we are easily distracted or have difficulty focusing due to a lack of grounding and when we lose sight of the bigger picture from being caught up in the emotions or mental details of a situation. Star Ruby brings more focus to the body and the present moment. When our focus is in the present moment and aligned with our physical bodies, our capacity to comprehend and process information is greatly improved. Being more grounded and focused in the body helps us attune to our senses—we hear better, see better, and notice more, making life interesting, enticing, and enjoyable.

More Essences for Embracing Stillness and Presence:

• Blue Green Tourmaline moves us from distraction and waywardness to quiet, centered strength and self-reflection.
• Purple Poppy helps us maintain balance during rapid phases of evolution.
• Blue Topaz soothes and calms our minds, strengthening mental clarity, focus, and effectiveness.
• Wild Rhubarb encourages the relaxation of unsuitable mental control and balances the rational with the intuitive.
• Bunchberry promotes mental steadfastness, focus, and emotional clarity in demanding situations.
• Citrine clears mental confusion and distortion while improving mental focus and clarity.
• Round-Leaf Orchid supports us to live more deeply in our hearts and maintain that position in times of confusion and chaos.
• Polar Ice supports staying present in a place of pure waiting, with no anticipation of what is to come.
• Stinging Nettle promotes grounding and reconnection after being overwhelmed by too much input.