The Allure of Awareness: How Stillness Transforms Everything

Awareness is the gentle, non-judgmental observation of the present moment as it is. It’s the ability to notice your thoughts, feelings, sensations, and surroundings without trying to change or fix anything. It’s like turning on a light in a dark room, not to rearrange the furniture but simply to see what’s there.

Mindful awareness embraces curiosity and acceptance. It invites us to experience life directly, moment by moment, cultivating a deeper connection to ourselves and the world around us.

But what does this really mean? I do not know about you but I really like visuals so to explain, let us join a student and his master sitting by a still, reflective pond on a warm summer day. Their conversation might look something like this:

Student:
Master, what does it mean to be truly aware?

Master:
Picture a pond, still and calm. When the surface is undisturbed, it reflects the world clearly; the sky, the trees, even the tiniest cloud. This stillness is awareness. It doesn’t add or take away; it simply reflects what is.

Student:
But what if the pond is disturbed? How can it reflect anything then?

Master:
Ah, even when ripples appear, the pond does not lose its nature. The reflections may blur, but the pond remains itself; deep, steady, and capable of stillness. Awareness is the same. It allows disturbances; thoughts, emotions, sensations to come and go without resistance. In time, like the pond, it settles again. Awareness doesn’t fight the ripples; it holds space for them to pass.

Student:
So, Master, is this what mindfulness is?

Master:
Yes and no. Mindfulness is the practice of being the pond, aware of the reflections on your surface and the ripples when they come, without judgment or resistance. But it’s also deeper than the surface.

Student:
Deeper? How so?

Master:
Beneath the ripples and reflections, the pond holds its depth—calm and steady, no matter what stirs above. Mindfulness is not just noticing the surface; it’s knowing the stillness within. The practice is to remember that you are both the pond and its depth.

Student:
Master, how do I practice being the pond when my thoughts are like a storm, relentless and overwhelming?

Master:
Begin with a single ripple. Focus on your breath, it is like a stone that drops into the pond, creating a steady rhythm. The storm may not stop at once, but with time and patience, you will notice the ripples slowing, one by one.

Student:
What about emotions, Master? They seem to sink deep into the pond, not just ripple on the surface.

Master:
Emotions are like rain. They may fall heavy and stir the surface, but they also nourish the pond, deepening it. Awareness doesn’t avoid emotions; it allows them to integrate, becoming part of the pond’s depth.

Student:
Why is judgment such a barrier to awareness?

Master:
Judgment is like stirring the pond with a stick, trying to force the ripples to stop. The more you stir, the more disturbed the water becomes. True awareness lets the stick go, allowing the pond to find its natural stillness.

As their conversation ended, the student sat quietly, watching the pond before them. The reflections danced gently, disrupted only by the occasional ripple from the wind or a skimming dragonfly. Yet, beneath it all, the pond remained unchanged; deep, steady, and whole.

Conclusion: Awareness as a Way of Being

Awareness is not about controlling life’s ripples or avoiding the storms. It’s about being the pond, embracing both the surface reflections and the calm depth within. Some will tell you that total calm is attainable but lets be real...life will always bring disturbances especially in this day and age, but these are part of the human experience...embrace them.

Through mindfulness, we learn to let go of judgment, to hold space for what is, and to trust that stillness is always there, waiting beneath the surface.

So the next time your thoughts storm or emotions rain heavily, remember: you are the pond. Take a breath, feel the ripple, and let it settle in its own time.

And while you wait for the turbulence to settle remember to... JUST BREATHE.

For more mindful moments subscribe to... https://just-breathe.ghost.io