Stillpoint

“Still point…a place of absolute calm where thoughts are stifled and the mind is truly quiet.”

Robert Harris

December rides in on two white horses.

The first is feisty, with muscles straining against the bridle and reins. High stepping and prancing, she throws her head back, snorting steamy billows of breath into the cold breeze. Silky coat ripples with tension and excitement. Front hooves stomp the ground. Go, go, go! explodes from her body.

In contrast, the second stands quietly in the field. She watches, softly inhaling the crystallized air stirring around her. Beautifully bare trees circle the land. A winter chill envelopes her, asking for a slow heartbeat to keep her warm. She is present and aware each moment.

The two horses symbolize the parallel stories we experience this time of year. One is hectic, busy with to-do lists, shopping, celebrating and preparing. The other seeks to find hope, compassion, grace and gratitude among the chaos.

Balancing these opposite pulls can be challenging.

I’ve begun a simple, daily practice in which I find a picture, an object or a view outside for a focal point. Mine is the featured image for this post. I see the fence as my day-to-day reality, providing grounding and a reminder to set boundaries. I feel the open space beyond, holding pure possibility, lightness and hope.

I take a few minutes to sit quietly. I breathe and wait until my mind settles…finding the stillpoint.

Mother Earth, I believe, feels the same way. She rotates around the sun all year, orchestrating the four seasons, equinoxes and solstices. Twice a year, the Sun seems to stand still on its journey along the horizon. These are the solstice times or “sun stopped” times…the magic moments. The time before the great wheels of the year slowly begin to turn back toward the light once again.

The stillpoint.