Being in The Doing
I often have the experience of being deeply connected to the feeling of myself when I'm by myself or when I'm not doing anything. Perhaps I'm sitting on my couch reading or actually meditating or just being. Others tell me they have similar experiences. When they are still, they feel like themselves and their bodies fully relax.
In doing something, we often think that we need another mode of being to get the task done. To be quick and efficient. To think properly. Otherwise, the task will be done sloppily and willy-nilly.
I have found in my own life and experience of getting things done that this is untrue. We are most creative, most efficient, most on point when we are still within and rooted in the feeling of ourselves.
I came across the phrase "dynamic stillness" recently and I noticed there are a lot of books devoted to this topic and that most of the readily available definitions didn't quite cut it for me.
A definition that seemed representative is here: "Dynamic stillness is to be at one with yourself, simply enjoying the moment, actively observing enjoying where you are, and giving thanks. It is purposely looking around, but keeping still and quiet."
I found myself wanting to take the idea and the feeling further into action.
Find stillness and the feeling of being yourself while being still and quiet, for example, while sitting on your couch, and then get up and do something keeping the inner feeling of stillness and the feeling of yourself as primary.
Initially, this might look like getting up and doing the dishes or something repetitive that doesn't require much "thought". Over time I have found that you can extend this beautiful feeling into doing things that at first glance look like they would require a lot of "figuring it out" or "putting your thinking cap on". With no disrespect to Mme Nevins, my grade 5 teacher, I have found that there is no activity or task or future planning or project outlining or list writing that requires "putting a thinking cap on".
Humans are designed to function in "real-time responsiveness" in the moment. It occurs to us to get something done. That something may be the dishes or the 5-year forecast for the department or the five million dollar budget allocation. The feeling of something occurring to you to get done is usually quite quiet for most people and we often argue with it for various reasons or just plain out of habit before we settle down and just get the taxes done. Most, if not all, of the mental activity we do around a specific task is in the category of overthinking.
Overthinking is all the thinking we do after we hear the in-the-moment idea or voice that might say "Now would be a good time to do that departmental budgeting". Overthinking or most of our thinking creates tension in our body. Pay attention to your body next time you are running around with something in your brain. Most of us become aware of circular thinking relatively quickly. Next time you notice yourself running around in circles in your head, come down out of your head and notice your body.
Put your hands on your neck and shoulders, notice your jaw. Likely your body is holding on tightly for dear life. Focus on the sensation in your body, for a minute or two or maybe longer, and the tension will begin to melt and change as your attention comes off the thinking that created the feeling.
Back to dynamic stillness. Our bodies, our minds, our spirits are designed to creatively interact with our world without hardly any thinking. To move from one task to another in our day without thinking too much about it. Carry your inner feeling of yourself from one part of your day to another. Flow around your inner core of still.
Your nervous system and your creative spirit will thank you. You will feel energized and refreshed throughout your day.