Travel theme: Stillness

Posted on by Miriam

It gets harder and harder to be still in today’s crazy busy world.

For me, it’s one of the reasons why I love camping and being out in nature so much.

Me still at Barmera (800x600)

Slowing down and getting back to basics.  Turning off the tech tools and tuning into the sounds of silence.

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It’s appreciating the last of the golden glows of the day.

We get so consumed with ‘staying in touch’ that we often lose ourselves.

But when we immerse ourselves in something bigger our world expands.

A still beach (800x600)

Alive with early morning rays.  When the air is still and the sand is so soft I feel as though I’m the first person to set foot on it.  I could walk for ever … getting lost in the distance.

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But sometimes getting lost in the stillness and the dark is exactly when we find ourselves.

Stillness at big river (800x600)

When we have time to think.  In open spaces.

Boat with clouds (800x600)

When we can find balance in our lives, just like the beauty of the mountains and the sea finds harmony.   There are so many places to sooth the soul and find peace.

Stillness in the morning (800x600)

And we can find that anywhere.  All we have to do is slow down.

Sit and do nothing.

Great lakes (800x600)

Like this canoe. Waiting for someone to take it into the water.  It will be used. Eventually.

It’s not always necessary to be doing something.

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Take a look at these three of mine.  I’ve taught them well, haven’t I?

Broken hill sculpture (800x600) stillness quote

Here are my favorite ways of finding stillness:

  1. Don’t be afraid to slow down and disconnect.   Spend at least five minutes every day doing nothing.  Lose the phone for awhile!   Let go of distractions and just feel, hear, smell.

  2. Ground yourself in nature.  Climb a mountain, sit by a lake or walk on the beach.  And if that’s not possible get outside and gaze at the clouds, find a park or a garden.

  3. At night in bed my mind is constantly in overdrive.  But deep breathing helps, concentrating on my body …imagining each part is warm and heavy, starting at my feet and working my way up.

  4. If you can manage it, wake up a bit earlier and watch the sun rise to a new day.

  5. Don’t miss out on what’s right in front of you.  Life is to be lived now so stay in the present.  Notice everything and everyone and nothing will be wasted.

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Be still:  the quieter you become, the more you can hear.    Ram Dass.

In the midst of a busy life may we all find stillness and peace within.

This is in response to Travel theme: Stillness – Where’s my Backpack

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137 thoughts on “Travel theme: Stillness”

  4. This is like a wake up call.. but sometimes is not always possible to stop.. i wish it was.. i need a break to stop.. loved reading this and the beautiful photos .. that beach… and where in this world do you ever see teenage boys still like that?? no were so yes well done 🙂

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    1. I agree, it’s not always easy to stop but I figure even just taking time out during our day, even just a few minutes, can help. Hope you can find some quiet space … xo 🙂

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  5. Good advice Miriam – it looks like you’ve taught your family well, what a great photo of the three of them! Lovely post which fits the theme so well with your words and pictures. 🙂

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  8. Sometimes I just read your posts and look at your photos and I don’t know what to say. Photos are always beautiful… Words are always meaningful. You have a wonderful way of existing your thoughts.

    And the picture of the kids on the benches is great!

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  11. reading this and those pic oh my goodness just made me sigh a big sigh. ty so much for sharing what a great way to start my day.

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      1. sometimes it just takes a simple reminder and truly that is what youve given me! after my physical therapy this am i took my liddle weener dog for a drive and walked along the wood line at our park. He loves to be out and about w me. we sat underneath a group of pine trees on the soft needles and i thought “i wonder if that woman even realizes her blogging truly inspires people to soak in the day?” cuz no kidding it just brought my heart and mind together as they should be something so easy and so simple and for that I thank you! oh and so does liddle bear! ahhaa xo

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        1. Oh wow, your words really touched me. Makes me happy to know that what I wrote helped you to find a little bit of peace. Hope you and little weener dog enjoy many more walks amongst those pine trees. Hugs xo

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        2. thank you! ive learned such great appreciation over the last 6 years living with awful fibromyalgia flares knowing that my attitude is everything but still i get caught up in chores and things so you snapped me out of it today and im so grateful for it! it made him so happy and he is just a piece of me heart and soul im sure im going to make it a usual thing i mean how can i not right? life is good! xo

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        3. You inspire me. What a great attitude. A good friend of mine has fibromyalgia so I have an idea of how difficult it is to live with. Keep staying positive and enjoying those walks.

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  12. A timely post, especially that we’re getting busier as the week progresses. Thank you for the reminder to take time and be still and quiet. 🙂 Such refreshing pictures of nature,too! Great job with your boys! 🙂

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  14. Great photos. I think you are correct. Sometimes we need to disconnect from technology (go of the grid). and stop to enjoy life. When we return to a slower pace, we can find true happiness. Much better than the artificial joy we get from tech and social media.

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  16. I love how your nappers make use of those benches. Very nice. You have such a nice way of getting to the heart of what matters, Miriam. I simply feel better once I step outside. Is it the air? The lack of technology to distract me? I don’t know, but it sure calms my soul. Thanks for sharing another lovely post. 🙂

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    1. Thanks Karen. I think it’s all of what you said … the fresh air, the open spaces, the lack of technology that helps to calm our mind … I know that when I get all of that I feel so much better. xo

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  17. Love love this post Miriam! Just what I needed! Life has calmed this week. I have the kids in fun summer camps and I am doing lots of long walks with the dog. I have the windows open now and despite being online I’m listening to the birds sing and the warm air is coming in. It is lovely. Perhaps I will go on another walk?

    P.S. Like you, I have a hard time slowing down at night. I read in bed before I sleep and do deep breathing. I also have a small jar of lavender oil next to my bed which I open up and inhale three deep breaths. I really helps.

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    1. You’ve painted such a serene summer picture, Nicole. I’m so glad that life has settled down and you’re doing more of what you love.
      I love lavender too. I have this beautiful hand and body lotion that I keep beside my bed. And like you, I use it before I go to bed. Great minds! ♥

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  18. Having just spent the last fourteen years living the isolated and communications free life you describe I can attest to how wonderful it truly is. The only downside is that now that I am in civilization the pain of loss is a daily companion.

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    1. Hope you don’t lose it completely Pete. We can still turn off from certain things though I guess it’s harder when we’re surrounded by it. Stay well.

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  24. You know by now that you are my favorite blogger,
    what you call disconnect around here we call it meditation
    I agree we have to meditate at least 5 minutes a day 🙂
    It is so beautiful where you are, I should not complaint though, I live in California after all 😉

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    1. Thanks so much Alex and yes I’m sure California is beautiful too. I used to think meditation was found sitting in a cross legged position but I’ve realized as I’ve got older that it can be achieved anywhere when we quieten our mind and get in touch with ourselves. And for me that’s in nature.

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  26. Learning how to do nothing the right way can be a skill, of course. I sometimes say I’m doing nothing when in fact I am busily stressing out about something, just not the something I’m usually stressing out about.

    Incidentally, you have taught your three well. They look like Jedi masters of meditation. 🙂

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  27. I agree! Oh, I know this might sound weird to many but I absolutely hate being ‘available’ 24 hours of the day. I have often seen people staying connected even on vacation where they want to relax (or so they say) and then get frustrated when their phones buzz. I just don’t get it. Switch your phones off, get off the various social media apps for a few days! I always take my ‘me’ time. Until and unless it’s an emergency, then maybe I’ll give it up. But otherwise, never. I absolutely love just sitting in a park or walking around and just observing the scenes around me and not forcing myself to think or do anything. My favorite is watching the sun rise/set. Pure magical and oh so soothing 🙂

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    1. I’m glad I’m not the only one that thinks like this. Seems to have become the norm these days to stay glued to our phone but truly, nothing beats just switching off, just like we used to before we had them! And I’m with you, watching the sun rise and the sun set is pure heaven. Thanks, as always, for your lovely comment. xo

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  29. SO many wonderful messages in the post 🙂 Where do I start ? 😀 I , for one totally am with you about losing technology for a few minutes daily!! And all the others too except maybe waking up before sunrise 😉 I think that would be a lil difficult due to my affair with my bed 😉 Excellent read Miriam 🙂

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  31. Very well said, Miriam. I’d love to have more “still” time – I’ll work on that. I love getting out in nature for the same reason. Those open skies make me feel like I can take proper deep breaths and my lungs expand!

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  32. Pingback: Post of Note Week 11 – A Kinder Way

  35. I am so inspired by this post!! Stillness — and taking a pause to breathe — has been so present with me recently. That quote is truly wonderful, do you know who said it? I think it may be Morgan Freeman, if I’m not mistaken (I think I tweeted it a little ways back!!) Anyway, so many blessings of love to you Miriam. And great joy.

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  38. This was so beautiful. I also love finding a deep forest or a quiet lake to unplug and disconnect. …And your photos were beautiful, too! Thank you ❤

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  40. I think, if I had an opportunity to be out in nature like that, I’d never come back, lol. Even just stepping outside for a few minutes in the evening when it’s quiet here are a balm to my spirit.

    At night when my mind is in overdrive, I pray. I once heard a pastor say he prayed as he was falling asleep and for him it was like falling asleep in the arms of Jesus. Needless to say, it’s a pretty powerful image that’s stuck with me, and it brings so much peace as I’m trying to fall asleep. 🙂

    I so wish I could go camping with you! *hugs* ❤

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      1. Oooh more camping! Getting in as much as you can before it gets colder? How cold does it get in Winter? We get way below freezing in the heart of Winter up here.

        I bet we’d have so much fun camping together! Even just taking in a view together without saying anything can be so enjoyable. 🙂 *hugs*

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        1. I agree Ness, I know we’d have a heap of fun camping together. And sometimes no words are needed when there’s a breathtaking view in front of us (not that we’d have a shortage of things to talk about, most probably!)
          As for our winters, they get cold but probably not as cold as yours. We get below zero, sometimes to minus 3C, it gets colder in the mountains but not so much where I am. Hugs xo

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        2. That’s one of the things about great friendships – you don’t always need words. 🙂

          -3C, that’s practically a heat wave here in Jan! LOL We often run in the -17C to -23C area in January. And I even remember a few times when it was -45C. And I am so thankful there are things like F to C converters on the web, lol!

          *hugs*

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        4. I know. It’s awful. 😦 I’m always afraid that some neighbor is going to forget to leave their faucet dripping and the pipes will freeze and burst. I hate January here! lol

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  41. Very wise words – I find waking in nature a wonderful way to stay grounded. It can be so hard to disconnect sometimes and find that stillness, but it is so important.

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  47. Beautiful post..loved every bit of it ..especially because I am myself an ardent travel & a passionate travel blogger whose latest facebook status reads : Diagnosed with an addiction called Fernweh – being homesick for a place where you have never been to ! 🙂 🙂
    Please take some pain in going through my blogs as you might find a mirror image as far as wanderlust is concerned.. and thank you very much for making me understand that silence is more powerful than the adventure that I look for in my every travel ..Keep posting & take care !

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  48. Beautiful post..loved every bit of it.. thank you very much for making me understand that silence is more powerful than the adventure that I look for in my every travel . I too am an ardent travel & a passionate travel blogger whose latest facebook status reads : Diagnosed with an addiction called Fernweh – being homesick for a place where you have never been to ! 🙂 🙂
    Please take some pain in going through my blogs as you might find a mirror image as far as wanderlust is concerned.. but for silence, Meditation is my only way in.. anyways , Keep posting & take care !

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