Calm in the Eye of the Storm

“The secret of success is to be in harmony with existence,

to be always calm to let each wave of life wash us a little farther up the shore.”

~Cyril Connolly

It is said that you cannot fully appreciate the tranquility of a calm sea until you have lived through a raging storm. My life always seems to be a whirlwind of activities: parenting, seeing clients, teaching classes, traveling, camping, music making, dancing, gardening and just plain dealing - often things are back-to-back with little time to switch gears and just BE. Through it all, I have marvel at my ability to find moments of calm and remain in balance! I simply imagine myself in the eye of the storm, allowing it to rage and swirl all around me while I maintain a sense of calm deep in my BE-ing.

In a hurricane, the “eye of the storm” is quite still. The fastest winds are in the wall surrounding the eye and the further out the lesser the winds become. But in the center, the 'eye of the storm’ everything calms down. The wind decreases in strength and a sense of tranquility exists over the place that was just enraptured in the throes of a storm. The eye remains calm, immune to what happens around it.

Nature provides us such wonderful metaphors for life. The ultimate challenge is separating oneself from the stresses of everyday life, to live and work from a place of peace, centeredness and balance. To think our best thoughts or create our best ideas, to solve our problems in the most resourceful way, we need to operate from a place that’s “centered” and calm. A peaceful mind is essential, it keeps us calm no matter how crazy the situation is, and it allows us to stay joyful and present.

For me, it is my practice of both Jin Shin Jyutsu and Kaiut Yoga that helps me to be the calm in the eye of the storm. This connection is achieved through these daily practices and a deep awareness of my breath in the midst of the raging storms of my life assisted by my mantra, “I am the calm in the eye of the storm”.

Developing a daily self-care routine will help you learn to be the Calm in the Eye of the Storm. Begin with the Breath and tune into the calm at your core. Know that with every conscious exhalation, we release piled up stresses and physical tension allowing energy to move more fluidly through our system. If you can, lie on the floor with your legs up the wall, and hold your fingers, one by one as you follow the movement of your breath.

Regular practice will bring you to a place of balance, growth and enlightenment. Learn to let the the winds swirl around you, while you maintain that calm stillness in the center of you, your place of power.

“He who is of calm and happy nature will hardly feel the pressure of age, but to him who is of an opposite disposition youth and age are equally a burden.” ~Plato