We can be vigilant and mindful and be relaxed at the same time. We are way past the need for that old fight-flight-freeze amygdala brain of our ancestors. Typically, the most stressful thing we are faced with might be an irate motorist or an absurd deadline we have to meet for work. Our current self-imposed stressors are not the same as those ancient survival mechanisms that served to protect us from a hungry wild creature. But even now our bodies and brains often react as they have throughout millennia: when we’re feeling stressed our breathing quickens, adrenalin surges, and our heart begins to race in fear. In the old days we’d calm down soon after the danger passed. Nowadays, since there’s no indication that the danger has actually passed, feeling normal again can take much longer, and in many cases stress and despair become chronic. One way to move through stress is to feel our innate stillness. When we become mindful of the stillness in our heart, even when we’re stuck in an annoying traffic jam or if someone is shouting at us, we return to our normal consciousness. We can always choose to be calm, no matter how something seems overwhelming or scary on the outside. It doesn’t mean we aren’t vigilant, strong, and alert. It simply means we don’t react physically to a perceived danger. Our stillness is always something that we can rely on to be there for us, to calm and protect us.
