Finding Inner Peace: A Journey Into Stillness

Welcome to another episode of the Deepening the Stillness podcast with your host, Anandi Sano. Today, we embark on a poignant journey beyond the noise of daily life and into the profound essence of stillness that resides within us all. Anandi eloquently guides us through the concept that true stillness isn’t something we can create or force, but rather, it’s an ever-present part of our being, unshaken by the chaos around us.

Timestamps

00:00 True stillness exists beyond our mind’s grasp.

03:40 Allow stillness; find peace within ourselves.

08:57 Inner peace emerges and anchors amidst chaos.

11:38 Surrender to stillness unveils extraordinary unfolding.

15:15 Embrace stillness; life’s flow becomes effortless.

22:01 Stillness is the foundation for a fulfilled life.

23:53 Find stillness within chaos; embrace your essence.

Summary or Key Takeaways:

In this episode of Deepening the Stillness podcast, titled “Peace in the Chaos”, host Anandi Sano explores the concept of stillness and its ever-present nature in our lives. Here are the main points discussed:

Stillness is Intrinsic:

True stillness is a fundamental part of who we are, not something that can be created or controlled.

Beyond Noise and Activity:

This intrinsic stillness remains untouched by the chaos and noise of daily life, just like the sky remains unchanged by passing clouds.

Misunderstanding Peace:

The common misconception is that peace can be attained through external practices or control, while it’s actually always within us.

Surrendering to Stillness:

By letting go of the need to control and striving for stillness, we can naturally sink into this peace.

Universal Interconnection:

The stillness we feel is interconnected with the peace underlying all of creation, revealing a deeper spiritual truth.

Transformation through Stillness:

Embracing stillness transforms how we experience life, bringing more alignment, grace, and gentleness. 

Ever-Present Peace:

Remember that this stillness is always available, ready to rise up within us, even in the busiest of moments.

Transcript

Welcome to this moment, this sacred pause in the busyness of life, of your life. Today I want to journey into a space beyond the noise, beyond the constant hum of thoughts and activities. We’re going to dive deep into the essence of stillness, the space within that holds all that we are and all that we do. Stillness, it is not something we create. It’s not something we can force into existence through sheer will or effort. It’s not tied to our ability to sit quietly, to meditate or practice special techniques. In truth, this stillness is the very essence of who we are.

Like the silence that holds each sound, stillness is always there. It’s always beneath the surface, and it’s unwavering. And it’s waiting. It’s always waiting for us to be able to step into it, to see it, to know it, to fully experience it. Picture a vast, open sky and no matter how many clouds pass through, the sky itself always remains untouched. It remains unmoved. So it is with the stillness that is within you. It experiences every thought, every emotion, every action. Yet it is never disturbed. It is simply there, steady, pure and eternal. We often find that the mind seeks to control the stillness. And we believe that if we discipline ourselves enough, if we meditate the right way or do the right practices, we can create peace. But what the mind doesn’t understand is that true stillness cannot be grasped. It cannot be held, because it’s already there and it’s waiting for us to soften into it.

So if you can imagine walking along a quiet path in nature, you don’t need to strain to hear the silence between the sounds of birds or the rustling leaves, the silence is always there, and it holds everything in its embrace, and it does it so gently, with such purity. And it’s the same with the silence that is within us. We don’t need to strive and to grasp or to control. We simply need to allow ourselves to rest in it, to let go of the need to do and be better and just simply be. When we surrender to this understanding, and we have experienced it and we have felt it, all of it, we begin to feel the peace that has always been there beneath the movement of life, beneath the thoughts, beneath the doing.

And this is the profound gift of being. It’s the realization that even in the busiest moments of life, we are always held in the embrace of the stillness. It’s always within us, always ready to rise up from the depth. When we let go of that control, it is always there when we allow it to consume, when we found it, it is always there. As we explore this deeper, let’s take a moment to reflect on how often we search for peace outside of ourselves and stillness and quiet. And we look for it in quiet places, in retreats, in time alone. And we seek it through practices like yoga, meditation, breath work, and so many other things. And while all these practices can bring a sense of calm, the stillness I’m speaking of is not tied to any of these things or any action. It is something that is far deeper. And it’s woven into every part of our being, every part of who we are. And if you close your eyes just for a moment and imagine you’re standing by a lake and the surface is. Is really calm, it’s so still, and it’s reflecting the sky above.

But when the wind stirs the water, it causes ripples to form. But the stillness underneath remains untouched. That’s how it is within you. The surface of your life may ripple with movement. There are ups and downs, you know, with tasks and responsibilities, with emotions and thoughts. But beneath that, there is an unwavering stillness. There is a peace that never leaves and it never falters. Your mind may try to tell you that you must quiet it first to find this peace. But that’s a misunderstanding. You see, the mind cannot grasp what already is. It cannot control stillness because it’s not of the mind.

When we access this stillness, when we soften, when we find the door to it and we step through it, when we allow ourselves to simply rest in the truth that peace is already here, it is already holding us, even in our most wild and chaotic moments. This understanding, when we truly understand it, when we truly experience it, is a gift. It’s a reminder that peace is not something that we need to attain. It is a realization of what has always been present. And you don’t need to sit still for hours to feel it. You don’t need to control your breath or quieten your thoughts to experience it.

You simply need to allow yourself to sink into it, to allow yourself to become aware of it and to notice the stillness beneath all that moves, all that is you. And within the work that I teach, as we move within our layers, as we release what is coming up, we naturally sink into the space of such purity, of such silence, of such beauty that we don’t need to strive for it because it naturally appears. But then we need to learn to surrender to it so that it can open even more. And here’s the beauty of it. Once you begin to recognize the stillness in these moments within your life, you start to feel it in the busier ones, too. So in the midst of a conversation, in the middle of a hectic day, even when everything around you is moving fast, you can touch the stillness and remember, if it’s not there, we just go into the layers and we start energetically releasing it. And then it’s there again. It’s like an anchor. And it holds you steady, reminding you that no matter what is happening on the surface beneath it all, you are at peace.

You are peace. You are that stillness. And this is where true growth and true transformation happens. When we stop trying to control stillness, seeking it, pushing for it, and we surrender to it and we open up those layers so we naturally fall into it. When we release the idea that we must work for this peace, we open ourselves to a deeper truth. We realize that we have always held this within us, that it is as natural to us as the breath that we take. And it’s not something that we can lose or forget. It’s just simply waiting for us to notice it again, to open deeper doors within ourselves so that the stillness can become richer and deeper. And we can live with it in every single moment.

As we move deeper now in our understanding, let’s explore the profound mystery of what awaits when we fully surrender to this stillness. When you stop resisting, stop trying to mold your experience through your knowledge or what you’ve learned or what you think you understand. And instead, you allow yourself to be carried by the current of life. Something incredible and extraordinary begins to unfold. In this space, beyond the need to control, there is an opening. It’s like a doorway, an ever expanding doorway. A vastness that holds within it all the wisdom and clarity and peace you could ever seek. It is the gateway to a deeper truth, one that is not just known by the mind, and it cannot be understood by the mind. Yet when you step into it, your mind will begin to become the partner. It begins to understand.

And in this opening, it is felt through the entirety of your being. This is where we begin to experience life not as separate from us, but as part of us. The stillness reveals the interconnection of everything, of all things. You begin to sense that the peace you feel is not just within you. It is the same peace that underlies all of creation. The boundaries between you and life. They dissolve and they disappear. And what awaits in this stillness is beyond words. It is beyond anything that you can describe as beyond form. It is the essence of the divine and of presence. And within that presence, there is a profound sense of being home, a recognition that this stillness is existence. It is where all of your striving ends, where the search for meaning or purpose falls away. Because in this space you realize that you are already whole. There is nothing to add and nothing to achieve.

And there is this profound gentleness that floods through you for self. And the deepest truth is that you already perfect in this stillness, every part of you. And when we touch the stillness, life begins to unfold in a way that is more aligned and more gentle and more effortless. And then we choose to no longer push against ourselves and the current, and we choose to flow with it. And your ability to make decisions become clearer. Your emotions soften, and you find yourself able to move through life with a gentleness and a grace that you didn’t even know was possible. And in those moments when we recognize the stillness and we soften to it and we surrender to it, a door opens within us. It’s a door that leads to an experience of life that is far more expansive, far more profound.

We begin to realize that life is so utterly sacred. Each breath, each moment is filled with a depth that was previously hidden. You couldn’t see it. You couldn’t feel it. You couldn’t experience it. And this is the profound gift of waking up to the stillness within, the unveiling of a deeper reality. And it’s been there all along and has been whispering, calling to you. And it’s been waiting so patiently for us to return to that place, to that stillness, wanting us to understand. And in this space of stillness, there is no fear. There’s no doubt about who we are and what life is. And there’s no need to strive to become more, to become better. We’re simply here, and we’re present with life as it is. And that is enough. It’s more than enough.

And we begin to realize that peace is not something we find outside of ourselves, nor is it something that we can force or earn or create. Peace is who we are. Stillness is the truest expression of our being, as is gentleness. And when we allow it to rise up from within, completely surrender to it, we step into the fullness of life. We experience the joy, the connection, and the depth that comes from living from this place of truth. As we come to the end of this episode, I want you to carry the understanding that stillness is not something to be found outside of yourself, nor something that I want you to try and control or try to achieve. And it’s also not dependent on external conditions. And nor is it something that comes and goes with our mood or circumstances. It is actually ever present, always here, beneath the surface of your life. And it’s waiting to be remembered. It’s waiting to be acknowledged.

It’s waiting for you to discover it again. As you work through your layers and everything becomes calm and you can step through that door and so easily find it again. And when we release the need to control, when we soften into the truth of what is already here and what you’ve experienced and what you’ve settled into, everything expands and stillness starts to rise naturally. And when it does, it permeates everything you do, in the tasks you perform, in the conversations you have in the very moment of your life. And this stillness will support you. It will hold you, and it is steady, and it is unwavering. And then this is the foundation upon which we can live more fully, with more grace and with more presence. And as we sink more in the stillness and it becomes who we are, it is not an escape from life. It is the very ground upon which life is lived. It’s the quiet, knowing that no matter what comes up, no matter what arises, no matter what challenges or joys come our way, we are always held in this peace.

We are always connected to something far greater, something that is beyond the mind’s grasp or comprehension, but ever present within our being. The invitation is to remember this, to feel this stillness, not just in the quiet moments, but in the movement, the doing, the action, to let it rise up, consume us, to let it infuse every corner of your life. And even when the mind becomes restless, when life feels chaotic, remember, there is no need to create stillness. You can simply notice that it’s already here and it’s waiting for you and it’s beneath the surface of it all. And again, if it becomes too chaotic, if you can’t achieve that, if you can’t find it, you go through your layers and you energetically shift that.

So you find that doorway again, and it appears within a matter of minutes, sometimes even seconds. All we’re doing is trying to find it again so it becomes more permanent within our life. So as you go back into your world, into the rhythms and responsibility of your day, remember the stillness as you feel it, as you know it, as you let it consume you, let it guide you, surrender to it, let it hold you, and let it remind you that you’re never separate from peace. You are never apartheid from the stillness that is your very essence. It’s who you are. And thank you for joining me in this space today.

And may you continue to carry the stillness that I hope that you have felt within this episode. Wherever you go and come back to it, replay it. Your body will respond to it. Your mind will respond to it. Continue to carry the stillness within you.

Many blessings.

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Learn more about the Sano Method and Anandi’s teachings  and how it can help you connect with your inner stillness and transform your life.