Kerry Jehanne-Guadalupe
“Remember, the entrance to the sanctuary is inside you.”
~ Rumi
The Noise
When the world is in turmoil, and it feels like there is endless chaos all around, there is a place of refuge – our hearts—yet settling into our hearts to find that stability and any spaciousness it provides can be an adventure in itself.
When we take a few moments to center ourselves in stillness and connect with our hearts, we may initially notice a lot of "noise"—an inner sound or even a disturbance that feels like the background hum of thoughts and feelings. Just as "noise" in the technical sense refers to variables that interfere with the purity of an electrical signal, the noise that can accumulate in our energy fields, hearts, and minds can obscure the pure essence of who we truly are.
In the first moments of sitting with ourselves, we might feel a sense of relief from the world's noise, like a deep exhale. Then, after the initial layer of noise has dissipated, we might gain a deeper awareness of how loud things still are, especially if we haven't taken a breather in a while. The intensity of noise can still be present because noise is not only from our external environments but also from within—our thoughts and emotions processing external stimuli. In this way, noise exists externally and internally, where external influences can fuel our internal processing.
After watching the news, working in an office, viewing a movie, listening to a debate, or having a conversation, we can carry the "noise" of these experiences in our energetic fields, hearts, and minds. The subtle frequencies we absorb throughout the day—no matter how seemingly insignificant—can linger and influence us. For instance, a sitcom may continue playing in our minds long after the episode ends, or we may replay a conversation from work for days after the exchange. These remnants can affect our thoughts, emotions, and energy, shaping our inner state.
Getting into the stillness of our hearts often entails being with the internal noise until it dissipates, which can be unpleasant. Oddly enough, it can be so unpleasant that we run right back into the external noise: we turn the TV back on, enter a conversation, or perhaps go to the market because sitting with the noise can be so much that it is easier to be in the external noise rather than being with the inner noise until it dissipates.
When we sit to settle into the quiet within, it can feel like navigating a dense storm of experiences, a chaotic terrain.
For me, when I sit to get into my heart and still myself, I can find a song playing in the background, one that I must have picked up from the local grocery store regardless of whether or not I consciously tuned in to listen, let alone any agitation that I felt during the day. External noise can easily be silenced by switching environments or turning off the TV. Yet, even after the external noise has been reduced, we can still feel busy, chaotic, disordered, or frenzied. The internal noise can still be loud, just different. This highlights how easily we absorb external influences, whether a song, a stressful environment, or the energy of those around us.
Many people can relate to feeling more stressed in a tense environment or becoming more competitive or judgmental around others with those traits. This happens because external influences can not only permeate but be internalized. We naturally absorb the energy around us, especially when we're not mindful of our own energy. This can unintentionally amplify stress or other inner experiences, such as being self-critical. Part of the beauty of taking space regularly, is that we can get better a releasing what is not ours, and therefore not internalize it.
In the chaotic climate of today’s world, it seems extra important to be mindful of what we are picking up in our environments.
Settling into Stillness: Minds, Bodies, and Energy Fields
Releasing what is not ours can assist us in going inward to a place of reset and reconnect. Though accessing this “reset button” can take practice, there are some techniques to help our minds, bodies, and energy to calm into stillness.
For our minds, using the breath as an anchor can be an effective way to steady the mind. If calming the mind feels challenging, it can be helpful to give it a meaningful task—such as visualization. For example, picturing a serene setting like a beach or a safe, peaceful space where worries dissolve provides the active mind with a purposeful role. By allowing the mind to focus on something that fosters calm, we redirect its energy in a way that supports stillness. Practicing these techniques regularly can train the mind to more easily access states of calm and presence.
Our bodies, which can be accustomed to doing, may need to be introduced into a state of being. Introducing the body into a state of "being" rather than "doing" can involve practices that encourage presence, relaxation, and connection to the moment, such as mindful breathing, and body scanning for areas of tension or restlessness. Some people will tense and then relax each muscle group, starting from their feet and moving upward to help release tension and bring their body into a relaxed state. Others engage their senses by focusing on one at a time—what they hear, see, feel, or smell in this moment. This awareness helps bring them into a deeper state of presence. Additionally, heart coherence practices such as bringing awareness to our hearts and feeling gratitude can help calm the body.
Caring for our energy fields can be essential for finding stillness within. Effective practices to care for and nurture our energy fields include grounding, such as spending time in nature or walking barefoot on grass or sand to connect with the Earth’s energy. Cleansing can involve smudging with sage, palo santo, or other sacred herbs, taking salt baths, or using sound healing tools like singing bowls, chimes, or gongs. Visualizations can also help by allowing us to scan for imbalances or areas needing attention. By tuning into our intuition, we can address what our energy field needs—whether that’s rest, connection, or solitude. Incorporating these practices into our routines can help us maintain a clear, vibrant, and resilient energy field, as well as assist us in settling into stillness.
The more we engage in these rituals for our minds, bodies, and energy fields, the easier it can become to find inner stillness. Over time, we can develop the ability to access a still point within ourselves with more ease.
The Energy of the Heart: A Path to Stillness
Being “in our hearts” plays a central role in accessing stillness within. Being "in our hearts" can feel abstract, but at its core, it is about connecting with the energy of our hearts. This energy can be subtle yet profoundly impactful. For many, it manifests as a tangible sensation—a felt presence in the chest. When we consciously connect with our heart’s energy, we access a profound calm that helps quiet the body, mind, and emotions.
The heart’s energy becomes the tool, the frequency, and the anchor for the stilling process, enabling us to connect with the vastness within.
Focusing on heart-centered emotions, such as gratitude, love, and compassion, is especially powerful. These emotions not only expand our connection to the heart but also shift the nervous system into a state of balance, reducing stress and promoting emotional regulation. Connecting with our hearts, feeling our heart's energy, and staying in that energy can be assisted by breathing exercises that bring mental focus to the center of our chest.
Cultivating positive emotions and practicing heart-centered breathing can help quiet inner noise, making stillness more accessible.
Many people find that weaving heart-based activities into their daily routines strengthens their connection to the heart’s energy as well as provides regular practice of shifting their focus from the noise of the world to the essence of their being. This consistent practice makes it easier for them to settle into the stillness of their hearts when they want to.
Connecting with the heart’s energy also enhances the heart-brain connection, fostering clarity and intuition. This connection helps the mind settle into higher consciousness, transforming the heart into an anchor and a guide during stillness. In this way, the heart offers the active mind a meaningful focus, redirecting its energy toward stillness and presence.
Stillness as Sovereignty: Grounding in a Noisy World
Settling into quiet is not necessarily a meditation process, but a quietening that allows us to connect with our essence – and from there, nestle into the stillness of our inner sanctuary, untouched by the chaos of life—a sacred place of peace, lightness, and ease.
By setting the intent to settle into inner quiet, we are providing ourselves with a beautiful invitation to connect deeply with the essence of our being and the sanctuary it provides. Resting in this space can take just as much practice as getting there! Resting in the ease of this inner peace, sensing and experiencing the calm, serene, and gentle space within our being can be so familiar and uncomfortable at the same time.
Over time, navigating any discomfort becomes easier—not just with practice but through a shift in perspective where we can create a different relationship with the process of stilling ourselves. It’s like ripping off a band-aid: we know it might sting briefly, but we trust the discomfort will pass, allowing us to develop a more neutral relationship with the experience.
When we recognize that we are feeling chaotic or 'noisy,' and we have sat enough times to clear the noise, our brains can get rewired from recognizing noise and staying with it to recognizing noise and being in the habit of clearing it. With consistent practice, clearing the noise becomes second nature, allowing us to approach the process with greater ease and neutrality.
The more we normalize the quiet, the spaciousness, and feel comfortable there, the more bearable it becomes to sit through the noise until it stills. This is because we understand the profound benefits waiting beyond the noise threshold. In this spaciousness, we can experience a system reset and an expansion of our being, allowing our true essence to take up more space than our personalities.
The benefits of this practice often extend into daily life. We may find ourselves more grounded, more responsive than reactive, and more connected to our hearts. By learning not to react to the inner noise during stillness, we also cultivate the ability to remain steady amidst the outer noise of daily life.
When grounded in our inner calm, the chaos of the external world will not have as much sway on us. The more chaotic the outer world – the more important it may be to access our inner worlds. This is not about retreating, or withdrawing, but finding a still point in the storm. By cultivating inner stability, we steady our metaphorical boats in rocky seas, accessing a sense of sovereignty that allows us to remain centered even amidst life’s storms. In this stability, we can access a place of expansion, even if the world feels like it is contracting.
The more we enter stillness, the more calm, balanced, peaceful, and expansive we can feel. By orienting ourselves to the vastness within, we gain greater access to inner resources like personal power, wisdom, and intuitive knowing. This inward expanse is magical—it is where our connection to all that is resides.
Sanctuary in Stillness
In the experience of stilling ourselves, we can have a correlating experience of stilling time, a state of presence or calmness where the passage of time becomes irrelevant or unnoticed. When we are immersing ourselves fully in the present moment, the linear sense of past and future fades. When we pause the rush of life's moments and step out of the relentless flow of time, we create a space where time feels suspended.
We might have sensed a stilling of time in our lives when we have felt a profound emotional connection with others, or been in a state of awe, where time seemed to "stand still" because of the depth of the experience. It is like bringing this experience into our stilling process, adding moments of eternity within the temporal. Stilling time can bring a sense of peace, wonder, or transcendence.
This timeless spaciousness may feel like a homecoming, a return to something deeply familiar. We can learn to let this stillness expand, flowing from our hearts and through our entire being like a soothing medicine. It can wash over our minds, quieting our thoughts. It can move through our bodies, bringing a sense of lightness and ease. The stillness can fill us completely, where we feel lightness, ease, inner peace, and our boundless potential.
This deep connection to the stillness is a connection to our true selves. It is always within reach because there is an aspect of us that is the stillness. Staying in this stillness, for even 5 minutes a day, simply being, simply breathing, can help us carry this stillness with us into our days. This stillness can be our sanctuary.
