Stillness. The word alone causes me to relax and take a deep breath.

In Still Qi Gong there are exercises in which we direct our gentle attention to certain points or places. Just by remaining present there, Qi is allowed to return, settle in and fill these points or places up. This is how healing can happen.

It is similar when we linger in stillness. When we allow silence and stillness within us, a space opens up in which we can simply “be” in peace, in which we come home to ourselves. Stillness is a source of relaxation and recuperation, of connection to ourselves. When we encounter stillness for the first time, it may feel a little unfamiliar. We are so used to constantly being surrounded by noises or sounds, constantly doing or thinking something. But with a little practice, stillness becomes a nourishing place of relaxation.

By involving our body in the process, we can help ourselves to experience stillness – for example with Qi Gong. The gentle exercises help our body to calm down. Calming the body is crucial to calming our minds and emotions, creating the space in which stillness can happen. It is a wonderful way to find inner peace and discover our capacity for self-care.

My practice of stillness – in whichever form – has become as important to me as eating and drinking. It’s a daily act of self-care, whether it’s through my daily Qi Gong and meditation routine or a walk in the forest. Connecting with nature, however and wherever, is another wonderful way of finding stillness and grounding ourselves.

Practicing stillness is not about perfection. It’s about experiencing it and, not least, enjoying it. The more practiced we are at it, the more we can fall back on it, even in the midst of seemingly noisy moments. For example, we can take ourselves out of an intense situation, perhaps just for five minutes, immerse ourselves in stillness, let it nourish us and find clarity again. We can immerse ourselves in it wherever we are. It’s like training a muscle. Helping people to train this “muscle” while enabling them to experience and enjoy an hour of stillness fills me with great joy.