Simply Sit…|Clear & Simple

A simple practice for anyone, anytime, is to sit. Just sit. Just breathe. Just be.

In an age of constant movement,

nothing is more important than sitting still

Pico Iyer

A simple practice for anyone, anytime, is to sit. Just sit. Just breathe. Just be. How long has it been since you did this? I’m not talking about meditating or any activity that requires focus. I am asking you to sit still and simply be with yourself and the world around you. There are times all throughout your day to do this. It only requires giving yourself permission.

I keep noticing my resistance to sitting still. My comfort zone is being busy. When I think about just sitting my brain goes to what can I do, crazy right? I recently read a wonderful book, The Sacred Enneagram, by Christopher L. Heuertz. Christopher shares a practice called engaging solitude, where he suggests taking 20 minutes a day to sit quietly with myself. I have been doing this for months now and it is blissful. I hadn’t realized how pressured I always felt to be doing something. I now give myself permission to do nothing.

It can fun to discover your favorite place or time for sitting still. Personally, I love my morning sit with my cup of strong, black coffee. The world is quiet, my body barely awake, and I get to sit. There is no doing involved, simply breathing and being in my body in the moment. I am always delighted, and often surprised, at what pops up to be noticed. I also love to end my day with sitting outside staring at the night sky.

Sweet ideas for sitting still.

Begin or end the day with sitting on your porch. Hang out with yourelf.
Take five minutes to sit at your desk at the beginning or end of the work day.
Take five minutes to sit in your car after the work day before you head home.
Go sit in the grass or lean on a tree. Let your body touch the earth.
Sit at the edge of a river, a stream or the ocean. Feel the water.
Sit in the sun or the rain or the moonlight.
Sit in your favorite bookstore or coffee shop.
Plop in your comfiest chair, without the TV on or a book in your hand.
Sit in front of a fire, either in your home or in the forest. Let yourself get lost.
Sit next to your child or loved one and simply breathe each other in.

Let yourself simply sit right now, wherever you are. Give yourself 5 minutes. You might be surprised. You might feel something new or let go of something old. Try this simple practice. I hope you will get hooked and make it part of your everyday life.

Get Your Simply Sit Guide here

Your Guide to a Simpler Life, Marla Dee