
How are your New Year’s resolutions coming along? I did not make any; I do have an ongoing resolve to stay centered. This I believe is the basis of all life. No matter what we want to achieve, we have to be centered to access the resources within, to put forth the best of what we can be and do in that endeavor. This applies to all that we create, whether it is our own state of mind, or the manifestations of our relationships with family and friends, our careers, or the creative outlets of our artistic inclinations.
To be centered means to be at peace within, to sit in stillness no matter how chaotic everything is around us. Moving outward from that still center, we work from a foundation of balance which is strong and steady. We are not blown away by the winds of angry words of the disgruntled. We are not sucked into fixing the dysfunction of the world at the risk of loosing the integrity of our own center. We are not dependent on accolades from the world to maintain our self-esteem. From the still center of beingness we are able to feel our own wholeness and can access the fountain of peace, strength and courage, to help those whose lives we touch. In these times of outer turmoil it is easy to feel hopelessness and despair. I believe that we are called to make a difference where we can, within the vicinity of our own lives. If we can each be the pillar of strength within our own families and communities, it will magnify and collectively affect all of humanity on a mass level. It begins from within our own inner center.
How do we become centered? There are endless resources available everywhere, including free information on the internet. We have only to be committed to give this gift to ourselves. The secret to sticking with a method for reminding ourselves to become centered is to choose what resonates with us. It may not initially be fun, but how it makes us feel after practicing is what matters. We all function better in a particular modality. Some of us are more visual, auditory or kinesthetic. We would be inclined to stick with a practice that matches our personality. Making time at the start of our day for some kind of practice is the most beneficial. We come in contact with our energy source, feeling refreshed and grateful for the wonder of this life. We can then move into our day with a dynamic enthusiasm, expressing the joy we touched upon in our practice.
Meditation is perhaps the most common tool for centering. There are many forms of meditation ranging from sitting and focusing on our breath, to more active forms such as Tai Chi and Hatha Yoga, or engaging in some form of ritual that draws us into the sacredness of life. Writing down the stream of consciousness made famous by Julia Cameron in The Artist’s Way can be another form of centering. In this practice, the first thing in the morning, we write down all our thoughts in an unedited stream for a half to one hour. This clears our mind and makes room for focusing on the stillness within. Taking a walk by ourselves preferably in nature, loosing ourselves in making something that requires a focus, dancing, singing, or any activity where mindfulness draws us to the still center within, are good ways to return to our center.
The beauty of returning to the still center is that we create the state of mind that we want. How often do we feel tired, confused or scattered, not knowing the source of our distress? I believe that we are magnets for all of the energies that are emanating all around us, for example in the office, the subway, or the media. We are constantly being bombarded with the thought forms that are swirling around our environment. How we stay afloat within this swirling soup of fear, anger, frustration and all its counterparts, depends on how centered we are. We can become hooked in by these feelings, identifying them as our own if we are not aware. Being centered helps us to distinguish what is our own state of mind and to keep refreshing that state of connection to our source.
Here is one of my favourite poems that speaks of the still center. It is by Rabindranath Tagore.
Break Open the Door
When the heart is hard and parched up,
come upon me with a shower of mercy.
When grace is lost from life, come with a burst of song.
When tumultuous work raises its din on all sides
shutting me out from beyond, come to me, my lord of silence,
with thy peace and rest.
When my beggarly heart sits crouched,
shut up in a corner, break open the door, my king,
and come with the ceremony of a king.
When desire blinds the mind with delusion and dust,
O thou holy one, thou wakeful,
come with thy light and thy thunder.