Stillness is a powerful tool to help you navigate the challenges life may throw your way. By practicing stillness, you can find clarity around a difficult situation and learn to respond empathetically instead of defensively.
Reduces stress
The body’s sympathetic nervous system sends out hormones to speed up your heart rate, but the parasympathetic system slows it down. This helps you relax and avoid the “fight or flight” response that can exacerbate symptoms like muscle tension, headaches and arthritis flare-ups.
Practicing stillness can also help you to identify stress triggers that are causing physical discomfort. It can help you address these issues before they become a problem.
Improves sleep
When you have a lot of worries swirling in your mind, it can be hard to get to sleep at night. Practiced regularly, stillness can help you to achieve a relaxed state of mind and easily fall asleep.
Improves focus
A common benefit of stillness is that it can help you to increase your focus. This is because it can help your right brain to be more activated, which increases your ability to create new ideas and solutions.
Relieves pain
Taking time to sit in a quiet place, close your eyes and breathe deeply can relieve the discomfort associated with arthritis or other painful conditions. It can also relieve stress and anxiety by allowing your parasympathetic system to take over, releasing a hormone called acetylcholine that slows down your heart rate.