Be still

“You must learn to be still in the midst of activity and to be vibrantly alive in repose.”

– Indira Gandhi

I tend to rest less during this month of December, with all the readying for and celebrating of the holidays. But as my aging-body energy is ever more limited, I really must more intentionally REST body, soul, and spirit.

Body and soul: Our body and psyche needs sleep! Lack of sleep has all sorts of ill-effects, but a big one is irritability and overwrought emotions, even though ‘tis the season to be jolly.’

Imaging studies show that lack of sleep can lead to greater activation of the brain's emotional centers and disrupt the brain circuits that tame emotional responses. "The emotional centers of the brain were over 60% more reactive under conditions of sleep deprivation than in subjects who had obtained a normal night of sleep" reports NIH-funded scientists Dr. Matthew Walker and his colleagues at the U. of California, Berkeley, and Harvard Medical School. The findings suggest that sleep restores the brain's emotional circuits and prepares people for the next day's challenges and social interactions. (see http://www.nih.gov/news/research_matters/november2007/11052007sleep.htm)

Soul and spirit: Certainly physical rest is an absolute necessity, but sometimes resting is, for me, more an attitude of mind and heart than mere cessation of activity.

I need to be still – to quiet the racing thoughts by breathing deeply as I focus on a word or phrase, to remind myself that there are bigger issues than my puny preoccupations, and to recall that my God is the I AM of whatever it is that I need.

“Be still (cease striving, relax, let be) and know that I AM.” -Psalm 46:10

“Take a long, loving look at me, your High God.” -Psalm 46:10b (The Message paraphrase)

May you find deep rest in this holiday season, making time for long looks at whatever brings you to stillness.