Good to be Still

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“Practice and detachment are the means to still the movements of consciousness” – I cannot express how much I needed to read and discuss this sutra last class. It was indeed a very timely conversation. Last week was an emotional and completely exhausting week for me physically and mentally. After my family informed me of my grandmother’s passing, it was as if everything around me disappeared. I didn’t feel like eating, talking, or even getting up from my bed. All I wanted to do was be completely still and reflect on my grandmother’s life and legacy. The only way that would happen was to shut everyone and everything out for the entire day. Before isolating myself, I called my parents and siblings to make sure that they were ok and then I detached myself from all electronics and social media. Detaching myself from the world for a day was an extremely liberating experience. It allowed me to be present at that very moment and to engage in the process of grieving in order for me to be at peace with the situation to some extent. More importantly, the practice of detachment stilled my consciousness and mind from thinking about what could have been or what I could have done to help. It was just good to be still for a day.