By Remco, the Netherlands
Table of Contents
Movement and stillness
Life is full of movement. Body, breath, thought, and emotion are always shifting. From morning to night, we are in motion: thinking, doing, adjusting, responding. It becomes so normal that we stop noticing how constant it is. Even our attention is pulled by movement. We look at the sky and see the bird, not the stillness it moves through. In the same way, our days pass in activity, rarely leaving room to simply be.
But movement does not tell the whole story. Beneath the shifting surface, something remains steady. When we pause, breath steadies, tension softens, and thought slows down. Even a brief pause reveals that something quiet is always here.
Over time, this stillness becomes more than a momentary break. It becomes an inner reference point. It is the ground that helps us engage with more space and clarity. Amid all the motion, stillness reminds us of what does not move. And from that place, we begin to see more clearly.
Engaging life with awareness
To be still is to meet life fully, entering it consciously, beyond habitual reaction. Stillness is a quality of attention where clarity begins to emerge. As body, breath, and mind come into rhythm, something quiet settles underneath. We begin to observe thoughts and emotions without being overwhelmed. This deepens our awareness.
Stillness helps us respond from presence. What once triggered reactivity can now be met with steadiness. Like a still lake reflects the sky, a more silent mind reflects life more truthfully. It is not about stopping the world, but relating to it with greater understanding.
This space allows conditioned responses to loosen and to become more grounded in uncertainty. From this silent strength, clarity, compassion, and wise actions arise.
Harmonising body, breath, and mind
Stillness expresses itself through body, breath, and mind: three dimensions through which we can return to who we are. Each posture, each breath, each moment of attention has a potential to build awareness, revealing the stillness already present.
- Body: the ground of stillness
In daily life, the body often becomes a tool of doing. But physical stillness allows the surface to settle. Yoga postures help release tension, align the body, and cultivate steadiness. A stable body becomes a space of listening.
- Breath: the bridge
As the body gets steady, breath softens. A natural rhythm returns, creating space between inhale and exhale. Breath awareness connects movement with stillness, the physical with the subtle. Each breath becomes an opening to presence. - Mind: the unfolding of clarity
When body and breath are at ease, the mind settles. Thoughts may come, but they do not sweep us away. Through meditation and inner attention, the mind grows clear. Insight arises from openness.
When body, breath, and mind come into rhythm, stillness becomes a form of deep engagement. Yoga teaches that stillness is not the opposite of action, but the quality we bring to it: wakeful, grounded, and responsive.
With practice, this quality extends beyond the mat, into how we speak, decide, and relate. Stillness becomes a way of being: steady, clear, and fully alive.
Stillness in the action world
In a world of urgency and motion, stillness can feel optional. But it is the ground that lets us live more fully. Stillness does not disconnect us from life; it deepens our connection. When we begin to see it as presence rather than absence, something shifts. We become more rooted, less reactive. Our actions start to arise from clarity.
This shift cultivates steadiness. When rest and movement, silence and speech, attention and action find balance, we move in rhythm with life. Stillness invites full engagement. It helps us meet the world without being swept away by it. Whether through meditation and other practices, or simple pauses, stillness nourishes both inner awareness and outer interaction.
In that strength, we find the clarity to move through life with care and depth.
Cultivating equanimity in action
Stillness is balance in motion. When stillness and action harmonise, we respond with intention and presence. There are many ways to express this essential quality, like:
- Mindful action
Actions from stillness reflect awareness, not reactivity. We speak with care, move with purpose, and relate with clarity. - Conscious pauses
Brief, intentional pauses create space. Breath steadies, the mind clears, and we return to presence. - Observing without reacting
Stillness helps us witness what arises without being carried away. We respond from a grounded place, building our strength.
Keeping equanimity in our actions happens from engaging with them from a centered core. In that way we navigate with more grace, clarity, and compassion.
Clarity through stillness
The wisdom of stillness is profound. As the mind settles, insight emerges. Not from effortful analysis, but from presence.
Stillness helps us to meet life with openness. We begin to see more directly what matters, and what can be let go. Clarity shapes our speech, choices, movements, and relationships. When body, breath, and mind align, action aligns with awareness.
We do not need all the answers; we sense the next step with ease and trust. The more we listen inwardly, the more we touch a wisdom that is both steady and kind. Stillness becomes the base for clear vision.
Stillness as a way of being
In a world that pulls us outward, stillness may seem unnecessary. Yet it is this very movement that reveals its power. Stillness is how we meet life with depth and clarity.
It begins simply, with a pause, a breath, a moment of attention. Through Yoga, meditation, or awareness, we return to an inner steadiness that does not depend on circumstances. Stillness is presence within motion. As body, breath, and mind align, we shift from reaction to response. This sharpens our awareness, and makes our actions intentional.
To embrace stillness is to reclaim our center. It becomes more than practice; it becomes a way of being: steady, awake, and connected. This is how stillness transforms: by revealing what has always been here. In that presence, we remember how to live: consciously, compassionately, and in tune with what matters.
About the author
Remco de Groot has explored Yoga and traditional Indian philosophy for over 30 years. This journey of discovery gradually revealed a deeper insight: Yoga practice and philosophy are one and the same. By living a yogic life, we will align with inner clarity, our vision expands, and the life expression begins to flow with its natural rhythm.
For the past few years Remco has been living in Mysore, India, with his wife Martine and daughter Anna, as part of Yoga Gita’s global community dedicated to conscious living. As a family of volunteers guided by Sage ViGo, they support others in discovering holistic well-being through the integrated wisdom of Yoga.
To learn more about Yoga Gita Ashram, see the website, or connect with them on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
