In a discussion with life coach Angie Marshall, I was informed that sleep does not recharge through some magical fuel line in the night, but rather through the elimination of resistance. This basic revelation has helped me in navigating nights where sleep has been elusive. The concept of resistance reduction goes further still.
It has often puzzled me as to how much we invest in recreational activities. I get the point of recreation, but it seems to me we may be pursuing a peace that will always elude us as we seek to manage/change up our external environments. This is especially notable in the proliferation of exotic winter vacation options.
While flying south to warmer weather offers a setting wherein we are temporarily removed from the resistance of our daily lives (overloaded schedules and relationships strains, in addition to the cold harsh winter climate), we must return home at some time. Given that we live 52 weeks a year, how much will we pay to experience just 1 week of peace? Copious quantities of cash! Resistance elimination is big business!
“This resistance is caused by the things in our inner life that we seek to avoid. This is what follows us to the wilderness or retreat centre, and it is the reason that things so quickly return to ‘normal’ once we are back home. The peace that comes from external silence, stillness, and solitude is pleasant, but it is not enough to produce genuine presence to our self or others.” (Dr. David G Benner)
Given that resistance is a 52 week per year experience, how can 1 or 2 weeks per year of external environment change possibly be potent enough to leverage the full measure peace we seek? Resistance reduction is a part of stillness. The longest lasting resistance reduction will be accomplished through inner stillness, periods of silence and mindfulness. We need to be still enough to reflect on who we are in the midst of our reality, to acknowledge where we own our part in the things that contribute to our resistance, to hold ourselves and others in grace, so that we can reenter our activity in a posture of peace.
Without stillness there will be ongoing resistance. We need to find time for inner stillness and acceptance of grace, so that we find peace.
