578 thoughts on “Alcohol & Cigarettes: the body’s cry for moments of stillness.”

1. Children so quickly pick up on how you are and if you are feeling stressed from your day you can guarantee they will pick up on that stress and be a complete handful as it also affects their behaviour too. Life is so much simpler when we are calm and collected because everything around us reflects that same calmness back.

2. ‘they are often amazed at how lovely they can feel in a very short time without substances, tapes or any cost and how they can do this at any time, even with their eyes open.’ Yes, stillness is free, because it is already within us, all we need to do is stop and connect…

3. A beautiful reminder of the importance of those moments of stillness and how easy it is to find those moments without the need of a drink or a cigarette, I have found a simple walk where I concentrate on how my feet feel as I walk a great moment of stillness as there is no chatter in my head just a moment of being with me.

4. It’s amazing how your whole day can change from just a few breaths and just a few moments.

5. This is lovely Sue, your explanation of the body seeking moments of stillness rings true for me. I have been doing the Gentle Breath Meditation recently to reconnect to myself, it’s 9 minutes but the change in me is profound. Most people have such low self worth they can’t even respond to themselves for a moment of true rest, instead they add something harmful like alcohol, a screen, a cigarette, etc, I know this well myself. We are so worthy of our own love and care.

6. It is very telling of the way many are living today, that we cannot stop and have a rest without an accompaniment of some sort, whether it be a cigarette, a cup of coffee, some chocolate and such like, with each of these examples actually placing more strain on the body as they are processed. This certainly exposes a very love-less way of living and calls for the answer to the question – why do we not want to be with ourselves?

7. If I haven’t been still all day, I really find myself craving ‘me time’ at the end of the day – space to just breathe, without having to ‘do’ anything. This pattern of constant doing is taking a while to let go of, but the more space I allow, the easier work becomes and naturally flows.

   When we think ‘I don’t have time to stop’, we are short-changing ourselves: space is an essential ingredient in our lives, so that we can feel the direction, and the response, that’s needed, moment to moment. It’s not about sitting around and not doing for ages, but bringing space into all that we do. Not trying to do ten things at once, or worrying about what we did yesterday or are going to do tomorrow, while ignoring what we’re doing right now. Consciously focusing on what we’re doing, as we’re doing it, connects us to this sense of space.

8. Coming back to the stillness we naturally have within, is as simple as breathing gently. The more I practice the Gentle Breath meditation, the more present and aware I am during the day.

9. Thank you Sue for introducing a new way of stillness for people.

10. What a blessing to be offering practical examples to clients of what it is to have moments of stillness without harming the body. We seem to think we have license as adults to do ‘adult things; and drink, smoke, take coffee etc – when in fact they all actually stir up the body rather than settle it.

    1. It’s really interesting how “adult things” are in general all incredibly harmful – and it’s sad that in general we also don’t know the natural state of our bodies or ourselves because we are constantly using things that stir up and change the physiology of our bodies – like sugar and caffeine or tobacco.

11. I absolutely love those stop and connect to the stillness moments and bring them into my day often, but probably not as much as I could. Recently I could actually feel myself trying to avoid them and to keep on doing, but it wouldn’t be long into the doing before I realised it was a stop moment my tired body was asking for, not more motion. It’s been a wonderful lesson to learn and I can tell my body really appreciates the stops.

12. Ultimately the quality of our health is determined by the breath that we inspire into our lungs and which source of energy this breath comes from; either all that God is or, all that God (love) is not. There is only ever this simple choice of two and thereafter the way we breathe will carry the propensity to either heal or harm us depending on which breath is chosen.

13. It is true, that the fundamental principles of life that are being presented by Universal Medicine are so practical and so very normal, that they can be shared without any fancy language or fuss.

14. Stillness is so beautiful and regenerating and you don’t even need to stop to be still!

    1. Very true Nicola for Stillness is not movement arrested, it is space embodied.

       1. ‘Stillness is not movement arrested, it is space embodied’ Beautifully said Lianne and Esoteric Yoga with Universal Medicine trained practitioners) is a great way to support us in this understanding.

15. It totally makes sense that kids (and others) react when we’re not still, not present, not with ourselves, or them. When we connect to that sense of loveliness, stillness, simplicity of just being, we take that wherever we go, and into every interaction, and others get reminded that they are that, too. A very beautiful and simple ripple effect.

16. Isn’t it interesting how most things that seemingly help us ‘wind down’ are actually stimulating? A cup of tea (caffeine), a smoke (nicotine) or a glass of wine (sugar) – and yet we think it is relaxing. But are we truly sitting with our bodies and asking them how they are responding to these substances?

17. There’s this emptiness so many people register and try to fill with all kinds of things, and I know for myself busyness and overwhelm can be a great distraction, too – but it’s like we try putting a square peg in a round hole, nothing quite settles the unsettlement, until we come back to ourselves in whole.

18. So many of the expectations and standards of society pulls us away from living in connection to our stillness within, yet it is through this connection that we feel more at ease and more ourselves. It is vital for us in order to live with greater presence and connection, to take moments to stop, reflect and connect to our body, being and breath, honouring that which truly guides us to live with the quality of who we are.

19. There are so many reasons behind our choices to engage with whatever we engage with, but at the root is our constant need for connection. Our need to connect to ourselves.

    1. It is very true – it all comes down to the quality of connection we are willing to live with.

    2. Our need to connect and know that with this comes the outpouring of stillness that is on offer for ALL.

20. ‘our bodies really crave moments of stillness’ and when we achieve that stillness it is a beautiful feeling.

21. My biggest relationship was with alcohol, a prop up to be sociable, and now I have found that the deeper my relationship is with myself, the less I need anything to help prop me up, I have realised that all alcohol ever did was take me further away from my true self.

22. It makes sense that if we are feeling overwhelmed and anxious in life we will reach for something to alleviate this. The problem is we look for that which will relieve it and not that which will release us from it. The need for alcohol is showing us we do not want to feel the tension we are in and the cigarettes show us that we know we are not breathing our true breath and this hurts us so misguidedly we reach for external substances that gives us what we perceive to be the necessary ‘space and pause’ when in-truth all they do is compound the problem and push it all deeper in, to which it will all have to come back out again further down the track. If we were instead taught to ‘go in’ first and draw on our inner resources then we would truly be given the adequate space to deal with the tensions as they arise.

23. I know how people can say they have a drink to relax at night or watch tv but for me when I look at it it has been a way of retreating and withdrawing rather than connecting. It is like I want a moment of time out from the stresses of the day.

24. “I realised that what people often miss when they give up these things is the time to simply relax and just ‘be’, because our bodies really crave moments of stillness.” yet we can choose to stop and have moments of stillness that we can bring to ourselves throughout our day. Esoteric Yoga has supported me to find and then bring these moments of stillness to my life.

25. When we stop for small moments in our day and just ask ourselves how we’re feeling, what’s going on in our bodies, we start to build a relationship with our body and bring more awareness to things that we’re feeling that we might have dismissed or buried before. Our body is constantly communicating to us, but when we’re so busy racing around, we can’t hear its messages so clearly.

26. I only started smoking to be like a boyfriend I had at the time. I never really liked it but the addiction had me in its grip for ten years. I’m glad I stopped, I don’t miss it now but I probably use food as a substitute.

27. To pause for a moment to feel the sit bones on the chair, feet on the floor and observe the rhythm of the breath, immediately stops any momentum of rush or overwhelm. Practical and simple
    ways to simply be.

    1. It sure does Stephanie, I also find having a little walk, even just a few steps not thinking about anything other than walking, stops the feeling of anxiousness or overwhelm – it is like a reset button and is so simple, especially the quicker I catch myself getting caught in the rush.

    2. This would be a really good one for kids studying and for at work. It’s so simple it can be done anytime of the day.

28. Creating moments of stillness is a very nurturing thing to do, allowing a stop moment where we can go deep inside and feel and know what we need to express in the world.

29. This is a very important understanding, one that we all need to consider as we begin to look at our life, knowing that a behavior we are doing is harming us, but being unable to stop doing it. Forcing ourselves to stop often triggers another, equally harmful behavior. Whereas offering the body true stillness, as is shared here, provides a shift in how one lives in one’s body. It is this fact that is so very significant.

30. “I realised that what people often miss when they give up these things is the time to simply relax and just ‘be’, because our bodies really crave moments of stillness.” I find Esoteric Yoga supports me with connecting with my stillness. Hard to believe that many years ago I thought the odd cigarette or drink performed the same!

    1. Sue it’s a good point and says a lot about our reference points. Once we have experienced stillness again we can look at our stress management strategies like a cigarette break with a whole new perspective.

31. I love coming back to this article . It is so simple and makes so much sense.

32. I am struck by the phrase a moment of stillness, in the way that we have mistaken a moment of numbness and relief from a tension in our bodies for a connection to our inner essence of stillness.

33. I actually love moments of stillness, where you just can feel your breath and how gently it goes in and out and how our bodies don’t actually need to be tense and how our whole body actually has a pulse to it – it reminds me life is so simple and it’s a bit like it gives me a fresh platform for the rest of the day.

34. After experiencing many times the positive calming and reconnecting effects of simply taking a few minutes to close my eyes and breathe gently, I am now wondering why we avoid taking this time for ourselves more often? Could it be because we are letting outside pressures to go constantly prove ourselves to others to influence how and when we make the space to connect with ourselves?

35. When we live in a hectic way or have chaotic days, we can feel at the end of the day that we deserve a rest and with that often comes a reward. But what if there is no switch off time, and we choose to live a better daily rhythm, then we don’t need the chill out either. We can rest without checking out.

36. When I allow myself to have moments of stillness the experience is so beautiful that there is no way that I would want alcohol or cigarettes to interrupt the experience. The more I experience the exquisiteness of stillness the less I want to put poisons like cigarettes and alcohol into my body.

37. I also find Esoteric Yoga also supports with connecting to stillness- which can be lived and moved throughout the day – not just experienced in a class.

38. Experience a moment of stillness and connection, and you wonder ‘how on earth have I missed this?’ its so stunningly beautiful it seems inconceivable that you will ever forget. And yet you do – a lot! This incongruous behaviour illustrates so clear that there is a part of us that steers is towards fear and away from settlement, harmony and Love. The more we face up to this fact, the simpler it is to choose truth. Thank you Sue for this moment.

39. Sue coming up to 5 years ago I first read your blog and its still so relevant today, for how we are with ourselves, the quality and the movements we made in stillness ripple out and can be felt by all. I know with my daughter how different she is based on how I am.

40. If, at the end of the day we are needing a substance of some sort to take the edge off our day, one that will prime us for what lies ahead in the evening, it would make sense to take a long and very honest look at how we have been living and working. Unfortunately, many people do not want to take this honest look as what they see might be saying that the way they are living and working is not supporting them, thus the drink is the quickest way to dull how they are feeling. By not allowing ourselves to feel we know that we won’t be asked to change and life will unfold as it always has.

41. It is very natural for us to want to experience moments of stillness and presence, but we seem to do everything to fight or avoid this beautiful offering. If we begin to embrace this quality in our lives it certainly is life changing in many ways.

42. It can be an impulse for repose and it can be an impulse to numb ourselves and it can be both in my experience.

43. ‘By creating a space for ourselves of only a few minutes to sit, close our eyes, breathe very gently and feel our body, feet and eyes relaxing and our hands resting on our thighs, we can feel an absolute presence with ourselves. And then, by gently opening our eyes, we can hold that feeling of gentleness and presence and continue to be with ourselves.’ I must admit this is how I chose to say goodbye to smoking cigarettes a long time ago. This practice though, can be done just in order to be with ourselves again, free of outside influences, whatever they may be. Practised daily or even more frequently this supports us to support ourselves on all sorts of levels and we get to appreciate ourselves and become more caring and loving. We become more solid in ourselves and more able to face life’s challenges.

44. Stillness is built in to the flow of the universe. It is inherent to our rhythm, and when understood, connected with, experience, felt, and lived, it supports us in everything.

45. Our lungs represent our connection with divinity – the ‘breath of God’ we breathe into our body and out again, which helps to establish the rhythm and flow of life. When we live out of sync to this, we create a divide and then sensing this loss we seek to fill this self-created ‘void’ with a ‘false breath’, be that via the cigarette smoke we inhale or the food, music, thoughts, beliefs and ideals we ingest and let govern our life and thus validate the separation from our true and divine selves we have thus chosen.

46. It is about shifting the way we use things – and looking at how we can build up more stillness in our bodies without putting things into them. I love what is shared here about taking time to just connect – to be present – to give ourselves space rather than simply going to substances to numb us. It is an experiment that is there to be had with our own bodies – a way of empowering ourselves to surrender to the wisdom our bodies naturally hold.

47. Having moments of stillness to just be and feel deeply are what keep me supported in the day from checking out and reacting to the workplace and the wider world.

    1. And in such a case alcohol and cigarettes feel like a violation.

48. A moment of stillness can become a way of being that we live with consistency.

49. I love my moments of stillness and so does my body. It has been a work in progress getting to this point in my life but oh has it been worth it. I know now that my body does not hold back when it’s trying to get a message across so why would I want to hold back from listening and then responding to its call? The more moments of stillness I bring into my day the clearer are the messages and the quicker I can make the self-loving choice that is being asked for.

50. It is so true that how we are when around kids can either make or break the situation, as has been proven time and again at work working with young children. If myself or another Educator are a little off, its like the kids enjoin this and can become out of control. When this happens, I usually do something really silly, like jump around and wave my arms to break the tension and this gets the kids attention and the energy changes.

51. I remember when I was trying to cut down on smoking as a teenager, I found it nearly impossible, I just could not break the habit and my Mum suggested still going to the smoking tree with my friends at school but taking an apple and sitting down and looking at the canal instead of smoking three cigarettes. I went from smoking about ten cigarettes during the day, to only one and felt just as relaxed, like I had time out from the intensity of school. I didn’t want to stop smoking altogether at that stage, for I needed the cigarette as a friend, it made me feel like I wasn’t alone and filled my then empty lungs up. When I began attending UM courses within a year or so, I stopped smoking naturally, it was not hard.

52. Children quickly pick up on how adults are feeling, and if the parents are stressed, the children often play up because they feel unsettled. Even if it means sitting in the car for a few moments connecting to yourself, and letting go of the stressful day before you enter the house, you will have an air of calm.

53. We spend so long critiquing and denegrating ourselves for habits and the harmful things we do. We judge others as well for these perceived flaws. But when you understand that what we all want and deeply crave is this love and beautiful stillness and grace, it starts to make so much sense the crazy way we behave. Thank you Sue for reminding me it’s stillness that we miss.

54. Very interesting observation, Sue. The way we live looks as though we are avoiding these moments of stops at all cost by constantly being on the move, but it is so true that there is a deep yearning within us all to be still and just be.

55. How odd that our bodies crave moments of stillness yet we use this time to fill them with a substance that will speed them up and make us feel racy, moments after the paused moment has passed…

    1. I find this odd too Liane, we deeply crave stop moments and stillness, yet we do everything in our power to avoid it and do the exact and equal opposite. In these moments, we fight it and charge ourselves up rather than down!

56. In times past when I was young in Ireland one would some times hear a person say to another , ” sit down there and catch your breathing and take the weight off your feet ” This was such wise and loving advice and still applies today.

57. Moments of stillness allow us to re-connect to our essence, which is love, so it is no wonder that we crave those moments. Simply sitting and focusing on our breath for a moment is a great way to do this.

58. What if you could feel the best feeling in the world without any substances, food or drink or entertainment and it was totally free, and simply a quiet moment with yourself?

59. Smoking a cigarette was a break, a so called ‘moment for myself’ and I remember when I stopped with smoking I missed those moments. There was no excuse anymore to stop and sit down. Of course it was a moment to check out and escape from the tension that I could feel within myself and never a choice to connect to the stillness that I craved for and tried to find but not in myself.

    1. I guess the thing about relieving tension with cigarettes or anything for that matter, even social media, is that you can only ever temporarily relieve the tension then you need it again and again, it’s much better to work on a quality of you and a quality of life that doesn’t need that relief.

    2. Perhaps that is the key to being able to give up this habit – creating moments to check in with ourselves instead of creating moments where we can check out.

60. Allowing ourselves that moment to stop and just be with ourselves has profoundly far-reaching effects in our lives. The stop moments bring space into our bodies which expands and gives us the opportunity to observe life and not become absorbed by what’s going on around us.

61. I agree that in that moment with a cigarette, people are finding a stop moment and are able to take a few deep breaths (unfortunately filled with harmful chemicals). It would be awesome for smokers to realise this is what they are seeking not the smoke.

62. I think most people in the world have these moments where they look for an out moment – coffee, alcohol, cigarettes, even social media. I agree our lives would totally transform if instead of seeking our OUT moments we sought to have IN moments, where we check in with our body and breath.

    1. Great point Meg, our whole society is setup for “out” moments and we always say we deserve ‘time out’ I’m going to look at ‘time in’ from now on!

       1. Haha “time in” – I like that. It’s true the search or desire for time out is very prevalent across all of society. There’s a belief that if you work hard you deserve “time out”, but what are we actually doing to ourselves in these moments.

       2. “time in’ moments – what a perfect way to reimprint an activity that has been ‘time out’ – a supposedly well-deserved break from life. I like that a lot! ‘Time out’ is an abdication of responsibility whereas ‘time in’ supports us to be consistently responsible.

63. Us holding ourselves in stillness is the invisible support not only for ourselves but the those that are with us during those times when we are in absolute communion with God and the all.

64. Brilliant Sue, I wasn’t a smoker and it’s been a number of years since I drank alcohol, but there are still many other habits that I do. Ones that spring to mind are using my phone addictively or going into my mind to checkout. To bring the understanding that these things occur because I miss this beautiful stillness inside is so powerful. So rather than following restrictive regimes or harsh reformative courses, all I need to do is just choose to amplify and magnify this Sacred and loving quality inside me.

65. hmmm… yes that is actually very well and wise spoken. We are out of breath almost everyday from being in motion.. motion.. and motion, only at the end of the realizing we need a moment of repose (rest).. What the teachings of Serge Benhayon teach is how we can have the very two combined together in our daily life, and meaning in balance, not just a moment or a sip at the end of the day..

66. I am wondering if a wine at the end of the day with its sugar hit actually winds you up all the more, not winds you down.

67. It’s interesting to note that the very things so many of us go to in order to ‘unwind and relax’ are in fact doing the exact opposite to our physiology… causing it to be more racy, stimulated or numbed. We have to ask the question in that case what it is we are really seeking when it is not a true moment of stillness or ease within us. I can recall many instances where my ‘go to’s’ at the end of the day were to relieve the discomfort/s of the day without necessarily addressing why it might be so. A level of honesty is required to even begin this self-enquiry, but without it, we continue to use our ‘go-to’s’ as the crutch they are in truth.

68. What a beautiful gift you offer us all with this blog, a gift that is more valuable than anything in the world. For you are actually offering giving us back to us, a moment to just be with yourself, just be you, without the pressure and demand of anything around.

69. I remember many moments I used a smoke to have some time out, to have a break at work, to step away from people at a dinner. All moments I could have chose connection but instead chose the illusion that I wasn’t connected.

70. It is a beautiful confirmation of the power of stillness or taking moments to just be, when clients report such profound changes within their lives. Our bodies and our being can truly thrive when offered these moments that bring us back to our natural rhythm and allow us to come back to ourselves rather than move somewhat unsettled through life.

71. I have watched a work colleague make some major changes with how she is expressing in our work place that has brought a new level of confidence she never had before. What is interesting to note here is that when she gets to feel this – the quality of stillness in her body and stay with it – has led to her decreasing her smoking breaks in the day.

72. I didn’t take up smoking or drinking alcohol but I took on raciness instead. I was often very tired and grumpy with my children, it wasn’t until I started to take better care of myself and learn what it means to be in stillness that things started to shift. Learning to be more self-loving and caring was a massive support to being more energised and being more myself.

73. What is so lovely too is that if, in a small group, we choose to close our eyes and breathe gently for a few moments there is a deep connection that can take place between us and a feeling of that sense of well being with everyone. Smoking and drinking give us a false version of the same where we might think we are more connected but in truth it is just a mind thing and a belief that we feel good because that is what we want to believe.

74. Such an awesome reminder Sue to realise just how important those moments are. I’m in need of one of those very moments right now as I feel very overwhelmed. My default response is to just keep going, adding more to my plate so I don’t have to feel just how much the overwhelm is taking over me.

75. Yes creating those moments of stillness and quiet time is essential for being able to come back to yourself, to be able to bring a centredness to how we live and be able to cope with life.

76. When we open ourselves to knowing the truth of what we use, why we use it and the actual effects it has on our body, big changes can occur in our way of life, health and wellbeing.

77. I used to work in the hospitality business and there virtually were no breaks unless you smoked, so the moment where we would just stand for a moment and smoke (usually only half) a cigarette where considered our breaks. Looking back on it I can see how ridiculous this was but for us back then it was simply how we did it and no-one inspired us otherwise. How powerful is it that we now have people all around the world who through their own experience have learned what it means to truly stop and have a moment of connection and so through having this a spart of their way of life can inspire others to make those changes too.

78. In my self-abusive years to myself, which were many, I had taken up fishing, where you could spend extended periods in quite reflective time. But, I would have the essential kit, my cigarettes and my flask of coffee. The fishing was like a vacuum punctuated with moments of excitement. Today, without all the above distractions, I can simply stop and reconnect with myself, and carry on with all of me.

79. We underestimate the power of connecting to ourselves, of connecting to our stillness within, how this is an option and in fact the greatest antidote for the tension we all feel at any given moment. Taking a moment to stop, connect and breathe who we are is the type of medicine we do actually carry in our back pockets, all the time, regardless of what we are wearing, and what’s more is that it’s free of charge – literally, as such offering us more from that point of connection onward.

80. There is something about taking 5 minutes to be still and reconnect to yourself whereby the benefit gained is disproportionately huge compared to the amount of time taken to reconnect. In other words, 5 minutes taken to reconnect truly has a profound impact on the rest of your day.

81. Very true Sue, there are many ways in which we use something for that moment, just to be quiet with ourselves, to close the door on the noise of the outside world, although alcohol, and cigarettes only fill the void we feel from not being connected to our innermost. I have found the more connected I am to my body, the more I am able to hold a true stillness for myself without the need of anything else that I once used as a way to give myself time out, which was nothing like the stillness that I now feel.

82. The body craves to be met the most and we occupy those moments with taking ingredients that stop us from feeling the body.

83. I never smoked and have given up drinking but I can recognise in what you say Sue, that I still have a craving to sleep and to eat yummy foods at times, that may seem true but it is actually my body missing this stillness. I seem to be getting so many messages right now about the importance of stopping and feeling me. This stillness is so beautiful, why on earth would I deny myself feeling this way? I don’t have to live like this any longer.

    1. As a once-proud non-smoker and drinker, I thought I was getting away from the methods many people had used to numb what was going on in their lives. What a wake-up call! The techniques, methods and strategies we use are always on tap to distract us from the quality that we can live and are often offered in the most refined packages. The choice is always there for the taking or leaving.

84. I am far less stressed out than I have been in the recent past. A huge contributing factor was my job, and whilst I have recently changed jobs, this choice has allowed me to practise looking at how I take on stress, now that I actually have the space to witness it creeping in. Everything comes down to choices and how I deal with those choices. The need for me to ‘escape’ or long for the weekend has reduced significantly, simply because I’ve allowed myself the space to change how I do things in a way that supports me so much more than ever before.

85. We do like to fill life with many distractions, mostly to avoid that amazing stillness that is so naturally part of who we are. Yet we hold onto things like alcohol, cigarettes, food, to fill us up from feeling what is there in truth to be felt. What you are presenting here make a lot of sense.

86. It is the busyness of life that has created this momentum of continuously going and not stopping, so you are absolutely correct to say those that smoke and drink use that time to get a moment of stillness. What they are not realising is that moment of stillness in truth is a moment of raciness in the body, which needs feeding and hence another cigarette or another glass of wine.

87. I had a close friend once who smoked and the cigarettes were his friend, companion, solace and time out from life, though we could both see the harm they were doing, I never spoke up about it, as I too enjoined the escapism and time out, even though my body could not physically tolerate the cigarettes. It shows me how we can allow something deeply harmful, and even think it is fun, when we are avoiding dealing with what is truly affecting us in life, and learn instead that in fact we can reconnect to something far greater inside such that the world is not able to affect us and bring us down, – this is only something we choose once we have given up on the truth. and once we have given up on truth, there are a million offerings to keep us away from it.

    1. So true Annie, when we disconnect from truth we allow an opening for anything to enter to distract us and keep us further away from love and truth.

88. I’m convinced that this quality of presence described here works not only for our relationships with children, but with other people too. For example, those who we might describe as having ‘challenging behaviour’ and receive support from Social Care staff. I have observed how, those who remain calm in themselves, help those they support to remain calm too and that this ‘presence’ is not only felt, but has a direct impact on the relationship.

89. Instead of the traditional ‘smoko’ – a break in the day’s work that became a widely acceptable thing to do, we should have ‘breathos’ – little breaks in our day where we can stop and reconnect with our breath and our bodies (without inhaling all the smoke!)

    1. What a great idea Andrew, in fact that is how I gave up smoking about 25 years ago. Stopping and closing my eyes, or if in company just placing my hands on my thighs, and focussing on my breath and connecting with my lungs.

90. The expression ‘Stop the world, I want to get off’ is a realisation that we know our body seeks stillness. The Gentle Breath Meditation is a beautiful and simple tool to reconnect to our breath and to our body and feel the stillness within.

    1. Yes Mary and once we actually remember how to reconnect to our breath and this stillness within, the need or craving for something else to fill the void or emptiness we feel in the disconnection diminishes.

91. Before attending Universal Medicine presentations I’d never heard the word “racy” used before, yet this word captured a lot of the behaviour that I was driving myself in. Even now I can see how I use behaviour that makes me racy, almost to stop me allowing myself to feel how I am. It is a strange opposite as being in more “stillness” i.e not having crazy thoughts but a settled body and mind is far more enjoyable, and yet there is a definite discomfort in feeling my own body with no distractions and one that I have definitely avoided.

92. Stop and re-connect moments are incredibly valuable – it is amazing how even less than a minute can make such a huge difference. Maybe one reason we don’t do them so often is because there is no money in it so nobody is marketing them – although really there is lots of money in them as they are great investments and increase productivity and quality of life.

93. It seems we are all wired to go, go, go and the idea of sitting for a few minutes and being still lis completely foreign to what we are used to. Quiet, and the stillness that is within are a preciousness that can’t be replicated with anything external.

94. So ironic that we go to substances that take us further away from ourselves when we are actually seeking connection. This is one of the reasons why habits and any addictive behaviours are so hard to undo because our beliefs are so warped. We have come to rely on complete falsehoods to buoy us up and convinced ourselves that we are doing ok and even sometimes that the ‘go-tos’ like smoking and drinking and eating certain foods are our saviours and that we like them and even need them.

95. It is empowering to feel how various foods can sabotage our wellbeing. Nowadays, even if I eat small amounts of sugar, soon after there is a feeling of my mind being racy and my body unsettled and if there is more sugar, my mind feels really sluggish, my skin itches and sleep is almost impossible.
    “The caffeine in tea and coffee, the sugar in alcohol, and the nicotine in cigarettes, all make us racy, running faster inside than our natural rhythm”.

96. The quality of stillness is in us all. ‘It was a moment just for me; a moment of stillness to reflect and just ‘be’.’ We can extend these moments and make our life, each movement about stillness and reflect this simplicity to the busy world we live in and yes sometimes we lose it but we can always come back to the power of stillness for ourselves and for all.

97. “I realised that what people often miss when they give up these things is the time to simply relax and just ‘be’, because our bodies really crave moments of stillness.” This is so true, it’s more than just the substance, it’s like we need something to give ourselves the excuse to just stop and be still. Why do we need the excuse?

98. There is a certain irony found in the fact that in order to pause and take breath we are inhaling or ingesting substances that will speed us up. This is how we have become so lost in a vicious cycle and why we as a humanity are so plagued with exhaustion. We are drained so we seek downtime but the downtime is used to pollute the body not replenish it and so we add to the already growing and ever increasing levels of fatigue and so on and so on as the addictive cycle perpetuates. The only way off this crazy ride is to pause and truly take breath by way reconnecting to the inner Stillness that gives us the breath of life.

99. Reconnecting to our stillness, as you suggest Sue, is so simple yet so powerful and confirming.

100. I love reading about what practitioners hear from people in their sessions, as it’s much more honest than the ‘I’m ok’ presentation we put on for the rest of the world. It’s true that most people crave moments of stillness and having a cigarette or glass of wine is one way that we have found to cope. But what the body really needs is not moments of stillness, but to be run on stillness. It is its favourite fuel and allows our body to run like a finely tuned car. Using the Gentle Breath Meditation and living what I feel in Esoteric Yoga sessions has really supported me to understand stillness and how to choose it.

101. We do know when we get too busy or too racy and we all naturally gravitate towards our natural way which is stillness, but sometimes we get lost and don’t know how to find our way back to this stillness, and so we end up going for other things that take the edge off life and appear to bring us some kind of relief, but are actually making the situation worse.

102. Are we truly looking for stillness when we reach for some type of substance or are we after a break because we have been running from stillness for so long? I agree how just taking time out supports and it would also then depend on the quality of that time out. There is one quality, the substance one, that would lead to the same thing reoccurring over and over and then another true quality that while it may not be deemed ‘normal’ at this point in time, supports you to see what is going on and doesn’t take you out but brings you back.

     When we are still, we get to feel all the places we have walked and for some this isn’t an experience that they would like. I remember for me knowing that anytime I stopped everything would catch up, it was just a question how long I could keep running. I was looking to be in any other place other than still, I thought it was the enemy, something to avoid because of how I perceived it.

     Now that I have truly connected to stillness, I realise it was the answer I was looking for all along and without it I am lost to whatever the world serves up. It may appear it’s hard to stop or to be still, but now for me I realise this was the trick for me to stay on the treadmill of life and think I am ok. My body was in constant pain and life was a lot of the time a misery, the awareness that has come from choosing to be truly still has allowed me to see more of what is going on around me. No more running for as I could see even then I could only run for so long and then what.

103. In this world we have so many substances on offer for us to “relax with” or so we’re told! This causes its own issues such as the opposite of relaxation. The fact that caffeine is a stimulant therefore our innocent cup of tea or coffee is not so innocent at all! Alcohol is considered to be a relaxant but the sugar in it also stimulates us.

     1. The issue here being that we say we want to relax but what we really seek is relief from what we are living, due to the fact that what we are living is not in any way allowing us to bring the fullness of ourselves to life. Thus why we seek substances that allow us to disconnect from the body whose primary job is to alert us as to the substances and movements that support our vitality and those that annihilate it.

104. Sinking into my seat and being aware of my tights on the chair, putting my hand in my back pocket while talking amongst colleges and focusing on the warmth in my palm, placing my hand on my heart while in the lift at work or taking a deep breath in the bathroom are all simple ways I have found to settle myself into my body throughout the day. It is simple now but a few years ago I ran away from any form of stillness (and still do today in some ways) as what comes with it is a level of steadiness that the world around me has said is not welcome, that doing and motion = progress and success. But I am learning that true success comes from stillness as in that stillness there is more clarity and more space to respond to life rather than not reading whats going on and jumping in out of reaction to what I think is happening.

105. One beautiful thing about stillness is that it can be felt in movement too.

106. Sue, it is so true that our body craves stillness, yet for most of us this is substituted with numbness. What you share with your clients is so valuable for us all, for once we have experienced stillness, we forever will know the difference and can make the choice.

     1. So true Jane. It is great having the opportunity to feel and know the difference as well as how we can support ourselves. What struck me as amazingly supportive in Serge Benhayon’s presentations right from the word go was exactly this fact that nothing was reeled off as fact to just believe and accept, there were opportunities to try it out and establish the truth of it for myself. This means that when I walk away it is no longer someone else’s truth, I have felt it and I know it. This is a great support Sue Kira is offering her clients.

        1. This is so true Golnaz. To feel the truth in our own bodies is gold.

107. ‘…how easy it is to create moments of stillness that don’t have to be harmful to the body.’ This line really stood out for me, because it’s like…duh! Why on earth would be choose a moment of stillness coupled with poison. Are we crazy? What has led us to such choices. I do this still today but whilst my poison isn’t actually poison literally, it’s another form of checking out still, like watching a show to help me unwind, or eat something sweet as a reward for working hard. None of these things actually promote stillness…the very thing we are craving. we’re a strange bunch really!

108. Yes it is a great question to ask what we are truly seeking in these moments like the glass of wine to wind down the day or the smoke break during work. Is it really just the wine or cigarette? Or is it that surrendering in ourselves, to come at ease with ourselves, letting go of tension and truly accepting ourselves that we are deeply asking for?

     1. Yes, a great question Lieke. Could those moments also be ones when we numb or distract ourselves from something that we are finding too challenging, stressful or painful to address?

        1. Great point jstewart51, we are looking for a moment to feel stillness and ourselves but we are numbing and distracting ourselves instead of going within ourselves and feeling what is going on.

109. A friend of mine observed how much better it would be if employers substituted cigarette breaks for ‘stillness’ breaks. And when at work, she takes time out to do just that: step outside, sit in the loo, connect to the gentle breath and bring herself back to stillness.

110. Even without cigarettes and alcohol we can pad and de-sensitise our bodies with other substances, namely food but also other forms of outside stimulation and drama. Be aware of the different stimulants we crave and why, it’s the first step towards eliminating them.

     1. There is also emotions and the quality of our internal narrator inside our minds, these too can rattle and de-sensitise us to what our bodies are feeling.

111. I observe people who are close to me who smoke, when they will get up and smoke and there is a pattern. Usually when we reach a moment of heart opening and stillness, a puff is necessary. It is saying, it is too much for me to feel and accept my own amazingness. It is true that we cannot make anyone appreciate themselves and to many receiving love is very foreign, in my own experience, I gradually came to this understanding when I took care of my body and began building it in love.

112. ‘what people often miss when they give up these things is the time to simply relax and just ‘be’, because our bodies really crave moments of stillness.’ That is so true Sue, when I smoked, what I missed most was that time I would have in the kitchen as the end of the day where I would just sit with my tea and a cigarette – it was my time to stop and consider my day. And since I’ve given up I’ve build new ways to do this for me and it now can be as simple as stopping and doing a connected gentle breath and the huge difference this makes, or even feeling my feet as I walk, instantly I’m more aware of my body. So simple, at no cost and voila, I’m more with me and aware of how I’m feeling. Magic.

113. What’s so amazing is that we can have this stillness inside and yet still get on with anything or everything we have to do. The stillness builds and we get so that we can even go to the gym and bring a quality to our workout that changes the feeling in our bodies so that it no longer feels like a work out but a work with. The muscles, the whole body feels honoured rather than hammered and we come from there feeling more in touch with ourselves, vital and very much alive in a complete way.

114. Eliminating stimulants is a sure-fire way to start to come back to stillness. While we are ‘out there’ on caffeine, sugar and alcohol, tobacco and other drugs and even drama, complexity and distraction, stillness will be impossible to find.

115. Just reading this Sue was a ‘stop’ moment for me and I could really feel your stillness. And you’re right – it’s my experience too that the opportunity to connect with our stillness is only ever a breath away.

116. It is crazy how much we fight and struggle to hold onto our distraction ‘devices’. Yet when any of us see a sunset, take a moment out and finally let go, it’s as if we have wanted this for so long. Stillness is so powerful – we have to work incredibly hard to deny it. It’s beautiful Sue how anytime someone comes to see you, they get full access to this stillness too without you having to do anything.

117. A lovely observation that people who smoke or drink alcohol can be looking for a moment of stillness in their lives. This is something worth sharing.

118. I am so grateful to Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine for sharing the simple techniques to connect to my stillness. I use to live in a lot of doing and rushing around, I would use a glass of wine to relax me so I thought. But in truth I was only causing more stimulation and more exhaustion. I first started to create stop moments to connect to my stillness and now I have been deepening the connect and taking the stillness into my movement. It is so beautiful and supportive in feeling the stillness within my body through out the day, no matter what I am doing.

119. I agree Sue the body does call out for stillness, and as a result we check out in order to get relief from the day, or fill the emptiness up that we feel. I have found the gentle breath meditation a great support in allowing me the space to connect back to me.

120. During the process of giving up coffee I realised part of my attachment was those moments to myself where I sat down and took time out. Those moments were part of what I did not want to give up. The moments for “time out” don’t need to be long but they are an opportunity to check in with yourself and reflect on how you are in the day.

121. It is true there is nothing more regenerating and refreshing than stillness. In stillness there is an absolute presence and it is not in fact at all related to speed so one can for example walk quite fast in stillness. We often tend to choose numbness instead of stillness and that is the opposite of presence and actually makes us more tired.

122. There are so many various options we can use to avoid the stillness that the body is craving for inside. There is a fear of going there but what is on offer far outweighs the choices of distractions by far. What is interesting is how much clarity comes with this and at times we can hide from this as it calls for greater responsibility.

123. Our body craves stillness but our mind gets distracted by stimulation, so we go into motion, the doing, this then becomes exhausting as more energy is required to counter stillness. If we just surrendered we would connect to stillness easier.

124. I used to have a Sunday morning ritual where I would go to my local coffee shop with my diary and sit with a coffee just to be alone, away from the busy family home and have the stop moment you talk about Sue. I had a strong association with coffee and stopping, or smoking and stopping. It makes sense to me why I found them difficult to give up at first. Now I can see if I had the support of knowing it was the stop moment I craved more than anything, maybe it would not have been such a struggle. I really like the idea of creating more stop moments in my day.

125. It makes sense that our bodies want a moment of stillness at the end of the day considering how much stress we are under. What comes across beautifully in this blog is how easy it is to have a moment to ourselves without relying on cigarettes or alcohol to achieve this, and a whole lot cheaper with no expense to our health or our pockets.

126. There is a universal understanding in what you have shared here Kira. There is a knowing that we all can connect to when we take the time to stop and appreciate that the stillness that can be felt from the body is far greater than any stimulant. The interesting marker to note here, is are we willingly to return to self-care or self relief.

127. Thank you Sue Kira. This brings home to me where I am not allowing myself to be in stillness but instead reaching for something, like food or drink to quell the anxiousness that is surfacing. I feel inspired and know that I can support myself in this regard, and just taking time to deepen the connection with myself, right here, right now, already is a huge shift.

128. Stillness is the source to come back to know who we are, deepen who we are and from there expand the way we live. Avoiding stillness is avoiding to meet and be with ourselves hence no true stock-taking of where we are and no true moving forward to where we can be.

129. Stillness is superb, so much nurturing our being. Moments of stillness are not just moments without the stresses of daily life but moments of being with oneself and being oneself. That way we can live life without being lived by life.

130. How simple and harmonious life can be when we allow the space to re-connect to the living stillness within.
     “By creating a space for ourselves of only a few minutes to sit, close our eyes, breathe very gently and feel our body, feet and eyes relaxing and our hands resting on our thighs, we can feel an absolute presence with ourselves. And then, by gently opening our eyes, we can hold that feeling of gentleness and presence and continue to be with ourselves”.

131. ‘the substances we choose to use actually take us away from true stillness.’ This is so true and on reflection I knew this at the time, it was like my body was calling me to stop and to feel what was truly going on but smoking or drink would distract me from truly doing this, hence I continued to never truly meet me and instead always be distracted. One of the things (of which there are many) that I love about Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine is what they teach and present is very much what I can relate to. It is like having the bestest friend looking out for you and through their love and wisdom I have been able to reconnect to this truth I felt within but was not aligned to as the alcohol, cigarettes, tv, caffeine etc was a continual distraction and would pull me away from this. This is still very much work in progress and I am continually learning. But you are right every single one of us has access to the stillness we hold within, to connection of our truth and it is great you can support your clients to feel this for themselves.

132. Just reading this blog has inspired me to factor in more moments of stillness into my day. I am aware that they do not have to be long moments, all that is needed is the space to re-connect with what is within us and then we can bring more of that divine essence into our day.

     1. Pick your choice of distraction to fill the stillness that is waiting there for us all to connect. It is interesting how we champion ill health with the choices of smoking or drinking but what about the others choices like working excess hours, excessive dieting, training, holidaying but to name a few. Are they all the same yet different flavours? Why is it that we are looking for distractions and drive when the body is sharing that all we truly need is waiting patiently for us within.

133. We have created many substitutes that make us feel ‘still’ when in fact this is far from true. I too was one to use alcohol to unwind and when I first heard it has loads of sugar in it I thought that was ridiculous. But I didn’t want to see that under my altered state, my body was racy and tense. Universal Medicine has shown me how by establishing a true relationship with my body, I am able to feel what stillness is without the substances.

134. We crave stillness but we seek motion. This is where we have lost ourselves…for in that moment of relaxation we so desperately want, we fill our bodies with a substance, be it alcohol, caffeine or nicotine, which has the opposite effect on us.

     1. True, could this be because we are learning from young how we have to do things to get recognition, attention and so on so to get what we want we always seek motion instead of just being or stillness.

        1. We crave stillness but on our way back from our out of control constant motion to stillness we are confronted with the tension of life and our own creations. And so we avoid this by seeking more and more stimulants to keep us going on and on.

135. Ah yes, those moments when we look for that ‘time out’ or respite from life…what we really are missing is the stillness, yet we are actually further taken away from it, by the sugary or stimulating ‘treats’ we are told and sold are what we need.

136. It’s no surprise we have been offered a method to give us a moment of stillness, like slowly inhaling a cigarette or sipping a glass of wine, but in actual fact it is a false stillness that does not connect us to our stillness within, but opens us up to further abuse from the energies that enter and drain us further draining our life force. No wonder we are exhausted!!!!

137. “By creating a space for ourselves of only a few minutes to sit, close our eyes, breathe very gently and feel our body, feet and eyes relaxing and our hands resting on our thighs, we can feel an absolute presence with ourselves. And then, by gently opening our eyes, we can hold that feeling of gentleness and presence and continue to be with ourselves.” I’m constantly amazed by how powerful this simple technique is, how quickly I can come back to feeling connected to myself and the seemingly whirlwind that had taken over is no longer.

138. It feels lovely when we make space for moments to connect and be still, it only needs to be a few minutes….
     ‘a few minutes to sit, close our eyes, breathe very gently and feel our body, feet and eyes relaxing and our hands resting on our thighs, we can feel an absolute presence with ourselves.’ Time to relax and just be.

139. we do crave stillness… it is the nurturing well that truly sustains us, and when we drink from this well regularly, the world changes because this is what we, all of us need, and nothing else can take its place

140. Substances like ‘caffeine in tea and coffee, the sugar in alcohol, and the nicotine in cigarettes, all make us racy,’ and they are extremely popular in our society, so interesting why this is the case. Perhaps there is a correlation with our increasing levels of exhaustion and the increase in consumption of these substances, because they can be often used to mask how we are actually feeling.

141. A timely reminder of the powerful quality of stillness – and how simple it is to reconnect to. It’s just there – only a choice away – to feel it or to keep running?

142. Just as cigarettes or alcohol builds a dependence in our bodies so too does continually reconnecting to stillness within our bodies bring a steadiness and inner confidence. Creating these moments of stillness in the way you describe can be a life saver and changer and it cost nothing and is so easy to do.

     1. Yes Elaine – consistency of choosing stillness is what supports us to begin to move and live from this quality.

143. ‘Moments of stillness’ are so easily mistaken for the down-time or ‘out-moments’ we seek as relief from the busy-ness we generally maintain throughout a day. Learning the difference between stillness, and collapsing from exhaustion or just ‘relaxing’ is essential. I didn’t know the difference for most of my adult life, and only through the teachings of Universal Medicine and with the Gentle Breath Meditation did I learn to live with far more stillness than ever before. The turnaround in my health and general wellbeing changed remarkably with it too.

144. So true Sue. Without stillness there is a constant internal disturbance that grates at every part of our being. Alcohol and cigarettes are just two of the many ways these feelings can be momentarily avoided. The only problem being is they never address what is causing the disturbance so they are returned to over and over again, creating further health issues and ultimately delaying the inevitable.

145. Sue like you I am staggered by how many people have alcohol at the end of the day to relax or unwind. So if we look at the science we get a lot of sugar from alcohol so could it be that we are soo exhausted we actually need the sugar to keep us functioning? The same goes for needing a coffee in the morning to get us going. So the questions begs why are we living in such a way that completely exhausts us?

146. Sue you give some very practical examples of how we crave moments of stillness on a daily basis. I used to smoke and can relate to those few seconds when I would first light up a cigarette and feel present with myself as I focused on the drag in and the exhale. It’s true it wasn’t so much the cigarette, but the time I was giving myself in that moment. Thankfully I have found a cheaper and much healthier way to do that through the gentle breath meditation.

147. We simply know that we are stillness within, and returning to that natural state gives us that feeling of steadiness where no doubt, lack of worth, anger or any other emotion can be.

148. This is very beautiful Sue. I often find myself indulging in foods as a way to make myself feel less anxious but this decision always sparks a cycle of self loathing and sadness. I am starting to understand that I can guarantee myself a better disposition every day if I commit to truly looking after myself before seeking a short term (and short sighted) solution.

149. It seems so silly that we naturally seek stillness, a moment of presence with ourselves, and substitute it instead for something self-abusive. I know I have done that in the past and at times still do but realise more and more that this form of behaviour is just a cunning way of avoiding deepening my own connection with the stillness inside.

150. True stillness is the elixir of life that determines the quality of the breath that we breathe. That’s why God bottled it in our bodies and why it can be found within all of us, just below the layers of raciness we invite in to mask the presence of such beauty.

151. A great realisation Sue that we can confuse the stopping and a moment of stillness with the activity we are choosing instead of realising that it is the stop and connecting to ourselves and our breath that is all that the body is calling for.

152. It is quite silly really when we consider that in the time we want to have a moment with ourself we end up using substances that stop us actually connecting with ourself. Yet this is how I grew up, what I thought was normal and the only way I understood to get through life.

153. So many of us are looking for stillness, that few minutes with ourselves. But its crazy like you say, lots of people go to cigarette or a glass of wine thinking that will get them that moment, but in truth it is taking them away from that true stillness. I have been a person looking for stillness but could never find it until now, I used alcohol and kept working hard. Never had a moment to connect to stillness. Now through the gentle breath exercise and Esoteric modalities I am able to connect that true stillness within my body, and it feels amazing, like you are floating in the clouds.

154. Lovely to read this again today. I have been finding myself caught up in stuff, an interesting turn of phrase as I imply that I had lost myself before hand, which of course is exactly what I had done, I have been telling myself that more stop moments, more connection to stillness are necessary. I need to take this more seriously though if I am to bring about any major changes and your blog has gently reminded me of the extra care that I can bring.

155. To simply surrender to stillness is the plain and simple answer we are looking for yet we allow ourselves to fall into self-made traps full of complications to keep us in constant motion.

156. Sue what you have shared is so profound and so true. And the fact that you have been sharing with your clients how many of the choices they make instead of providing the stillness they are craving takes them further away, shows that as a society we are in great need of true education – especially in the face of all the marketing and advertising focusing on the promotion of the misconceptions in order to sell the products.

157. “These moments are our search for stillness, but the substances we choose to use actually take us away from true stillness. ” There is no doubt that most of us want moments to reconnect but as you say for most of us that has meant choosing things that we think give us a moment of relaxation but we actually go further away from the connection we seek, instead in my experience the “relief” i sought made me think I was relaxing but would often then be caught in a cycle or more and more “check out moments”. I love the commitment to reflect and connect.

158. What a beautiful offering for your clients Sue in providing them the opportunity to experience a true moment of stillness.

159. It seems so logical when some one points it out that “These moments are our search for stillness, but the substances we choose to use actually take us away from true stillness.” Of course I now see they raise the adrenaline but I wouldn’t have connected the two till I really wanted to get honest. They were such a good crutch!

160. It’s true, by truly meeting a child, allowing them to be and not holding them as less, they will be with you. I have the same experience with dogs too. Treating them equally and connecting to them, they actually understand what you say, no training needed – amazing!

161. We all search for moments of stillness and in some situations it feels impossible for us to reach but in reality they are available to us all when we choose to sit through the agitation and restlessness that is driven by our ideals and beliefs. Stillness is within us all patiently waiting for us to return to it.

162. Thank you for the reminder and reiterating taking those moments of stillness. It’s important to note these can be taken throughout the day in many activities but what I find more impactful is to take a moment where I am not doing an activity I am just being with myself and everything around me. This quality is a marker for all moments.

163. If we take these addictions right out of it and just considered why we want some kind of reward, we might find ourselves in an interesting place. For if we move and enjoy life in every second, in every gesture and act, what part of us would possibly want a cigarette with that? So is it possible that one of our biggest addictions in life, is making the conversation about the unwanted behaviours and things we cling to when we could making our life about sharing and developing a tender and joyful way in everything that we do. Thank you Sue.

164. The simplicity of stillness and it can be done so easily

165. Awesome blog in the sense that it is so true I used alcohol or even a cup of tea to have a stop moment, not even considering this is possible without the stimulants. This way of living, though deeply inspired by Universal Medicine, does not have to be preached, but simply reflected. As to be present and not need any stimulation offers a connection we are all looking for.

166. Sue a great blog, it strikes me that we all seek this stillness but live in a way that goes against the very stillness we seek. For instance we get caught up in our days and expect to then be still it never crossed my mind until chatting with Serge that if we live less caught up in the day we will have more stillness we naturally seek all the time. Simple yet not the norm.

167. Hi Sue, you hit the nail on the head when you identified the fact that it is the ‘stillness’ that we seek and crave. So often as you have identified we bring in complication with substance abuse e.g. smoking. Alcohol, drugs. Stillness is part of our natural way and if chosen, supports us in our livingness everyday.

168. It is wonderful to choose to close eyes, breathe gently and reconnect to ourselves and how it allows so much mental and physiological inertia to wind down. Then, if we feel we want a deeper experience of the healing stillness within us to let go of old patterns that keep us choosing all those stimulating, disconnecting habits, there is Esoteric Yoga.

169. A moment, that’s just yours, that is what we crave and I think its beautiful that you remind us that we can actually have it any time we want, we don’t need the excuse of a glass of wine or a smoke to do so.

170. How gorgeous to sit by the river on your way home from work Sue… this is something that has never occurred to me – it was always getting home to ‘do’ the next thing. However I have taken to stopping and resting or sitting down when I get home, even if only for a few moments. The impact of these small but significant nurturing moments has felt so honouring of my body that when I don’t take this time, the discomfort in my body cant be ignored, and I have to stop and honour my body.

171. “I realised that what people often miss when they give up these things is the time to simply relax and just ‘be’, because our bodies really crave moments of stillness.” I love sharing the gentle breath meditation with people – only last week in my volunteering job. It only takes a few minutes- and was so appreciated by a new mum.

172. And I love how you share it with your clients as just a natural way to be with themselves which can then extend into their lives……with no dogma or anything of yourself attached.

173. You show Sue just how simple it really is to take time out to connect, and that we need nothing other than to make the choice.

174. Sue what you’ve shared is profound… our bodies do crave stillness it is true as it is our most natural and harmonious state. It makes little sense in that respect and is more than a little ironic that we so often go for something that takes us further away from it. There is much to ponder in this dichotomy.

175. Since learning the ‘Gentle Breath Meditation’ about 5 years ago, and practicing regularly, there are many old habits that have just fallen away from my life. What this has revealed to me is that, as this blog suggests, there are many things we do in life to attempt to create these stop moments – that once we learn to simply choose the stop within, are no longer needed. It was the connection I was looking for and the things I was using to achieve it before have become superfluous.

176. How conditioned we are to keep doing, to keep moving and keep seeking for answers outside of ourselves. This is exposed by the fact that we need someone else to point out the simplicity of stopping, connecting to our breath, being with ourselves. It’s obvious when we realise it but the world is so intent on doing that just having time to be is not appreciated.

177. As an ex-smoker I can vouch for this. What I wanted was the stop moment more than anything. Learning to truly stop without the need for anything external is a real gift and much more real and supportive our bodies.

178. Sue you wrote: “These moments are our search for stillness, but the substances we choose to use actually take us away from true stillness.” That is so true and I was one of them not knowing that I was longing for this stillness and that the substances I chose were not very supportive in terms of holding this stillness a bit longer. Since I am aware of it I can willingly chose to be still and hold this stillness as well – no need for any substances anymore.

179. ‘has been a deeply profound experience for me and for my clients to feel how easily we can feel this way any time we choose’ This is the ironic thing. It is not difficult to feel this way, it is difficult to make the choice to feel this way when we are so used to doing something different. Changing habits of a lifetime takes dedication but oh boy how awesome when we do actually make those changes; our body rewards us big time and we get to feel like we have a new lease of life.

180. I love how simple it is when we break it down. You are spot on Sue, when dissecting what we are really after when we reach for that glass of alcohol, cigarette or joint even. All we really want is a stop moment…but why would we poison our bodies when all we want is to connect. I suspect we don’t often realise that that’s the underlying need, however by starting the conversation on wonderful blogs such as this, there is an opportunity for people to consider why they make the choices they do.

181. So true Sue. Just last night while lying in bed, I took a moment before rolling over to go to sleep and I reconnected with my body. An act I often avoid doing simply because I’m too scared to feel what might be going on in there. But simply doing that allowed me to drift off to sleep when I was ready and then also opened me up to doing it again this morning. It really does take the edge off that habit of buzzing around like a headless chook.

182. What a great, simple and true point you have made Sue. It is funny how when you hear truth it is always so simple and clear.

183. We do crave stillness, and impossible though it may seem to some, it really is available to us all, within the choices that we make, that will enable us all eventually to feel the deep nurturing and feeling of coming home that stillness is.

184. What I have been learning and practising is that we can connect to our stillness at anytime, it is a choice to just stop, connect to our true breath and breath with that conscious connection, which is our conscious presence. Within minutes we have connected to our stillness. I find this very supportive In my daily life. Gentle Breath Meditation is the technique that supports.

185. Yes it is quite ironic that when we crave stillness which could be some alone time, or chilling out at the end of a busy day, that which we choose to accompany us, a drink (often alcohol), something to eat (maybe chocolate), or something to do (watch TV) will not deliver that longed for stillness but a body that becomes even racier. But to be able to stop, feel and breathe gently, as you have introduced to some of your clients Sue, will bring exactly what they have been looking for, a moment or two, or maybe more, of stillness.

186. To stop and just be, what a very powerful lesson for us all to learn. To gently and tenderly be with ourselves knowing that we are divine and that we are love, what a precious gift to give to ourselves. Thank you Sue for these invaluable reminders.

187. Until we have a truly redefined and consistent experience of what stillness actually is, sort of a baseline experience, we will be grasping in the dark for something that we think is stillness, but is most definitely not.

188. It is amazing how closing your eyes and breathing gently can make such a difference to how we feel. Once I was able to recognise that it was stillness that I was seeking it became easier to drop all the other things I used to distract me, such as TV and sugar and alcohol, as I could feel they were not giving me what I thought I needed, and were in fact offering the complete opposite.

189. What blew me away and inspired me is when I first felt how stopping and reconnecting only took such a short time to do when the intention was there to reconnect. Then the next step or activity after had more of me in it and feeling what was needed in it… compared to hours of being highly strung and trying to control everything around me. My children would wind up reacting to the fact I was zoned out with what I was doing. Amazing seeing the difference in our children and all around us, as you describe Sue, when we stop and reconnect.

190. Sue this is a great sharing and I agree that to bring some stillness into each day through the Gentle Breath Meditation, we move forward in a calm and loving way. We are blessed to have Serge Benhayon in our midst to teach us this.

191. It is true Sue, how in such a short time in a Sacred Esoteric Healing session, our state can change from being very emotional and ‘off the wall’ to being much more calm with ourselves. Yet in daily life, simply being able to relax can seem a long way off. It therefore is great to support people with the understanding that there are techniques, such as the gentle breath meditation, to bring us back from harming thoughts and behaviours, and this is a great choice to make towards those deeper experience of healing.

192. For me what has been a big learning curve is the fact that this stillness and connection you describe Sue is available for me at any time and isn’t something that has to be stored up, waiting for a spare moment to ‘reward’ myself. Understanding that this is possible as a way of life opens up the door for further consideration around how much importance I have attached to the ‘doing’ part of life and how little to the ‘being’ part of life. Thank you!

193. ‘I realised that what people often miss when they give up these things is the time to simply relax and just ‘be’, because our bodies really crave moments of stillness.’ This couldn’t not be more spot on Sue. If only we questioned our actions more often we’d recognise the reason behind a lot of our choices, and then give ourselves a chance to make a different choice.

194. When you find that stillness and connect to your essence, who needs the alcohol or smokes?

195. Stillness is our natural way. To live without this in our life, is like starving the body of oxygen. No wonder we seeks ways to cope and relieve this constant need. And what a wonder it is to return and rediscover this loving stillness in our body.

196. This is so beautiful to read again Sue, so simple and so true, just reading your blog I can feel the stillness in my body.

197. I so get the title… body’s cry for moments of stillness. I have never smoked or drank but still felt the cry to feel the stillness in my body.

     1. I didn’t choose these as well but was the same with going for food and drama, and most definitely my body was crying out for stillness.

198. This is an awesome reminder for me to take moments in my day to connect to stillness. Like you say it is something we crave for yet it is something I don’t often do. So lovely to re-read this blog again. Inspiring read!

199. Re reading your blog Sue confirms to me that the simple and most harmless way to do this ,( calm ourselves) is a gentle breath meditation.

200. I remember the discomfort when I stopped smoking the need that would creep in and the feeling of desperation, for a while I would feel this then reach for the cigarettes, it was only after truly addressing the need as to why I wanted to smoke in the first place that I managed to come though the discomfort stage to know it was something I would never ever do again to myself.

201. That there is an alternative to the intensity and busyness that is all around us is a great blessing, and the fact that we can actually pass this on, to inspire people to themselves reconnect to their own stillness, is even more beautiful… And it is essential for humanity’s well-being that we do find this stop point.

202. Sue this shows with such simplicity how easily we all can create moments of stillness in our day and how supportive this can be. I took a moment when reading your blog to stop and connect to my breath in this way and it was exquisite. I love how through this approach you are supporting your clients to come back to themselves in such a simple and powerful way.

203. What a very different conversation about Alcohol and Cigarettes Sue. How amazing it would be to no longer settle for brief moments of respite but to know this sense of inner connectedness throughout the whole day? I’m inspired to live this stillness today.

204. Sue this blog is such a much needed reminder to have a few minutes of stillness. The space to recollect and feel yourself is crucial in supporting us to recognise why we may choose other options over quality time with ourselves.

205. I can really relate to what you share here Sue – when I was puffing in on my cigarette, or feeling alcohol hit the back of my throat I felt nothing else but focussed on that in the moment – so it felt like a relief to not have so many different things racing through my head like they did at every other minute of the day. Of course smoking and drinking did not bring me truly back to myself because of the substances I was consuming, but the act of having my mind focussed on exactly what I was doing in the moment felt like ‘time for me’. At the time I could see the contradiction that time for me was ‘bad for me’ – but I didn’t value myself enough to find other ways.. or perhaps as I reflect, I was not truly wanting to connect as usually I would reach for the smoke or drink when I didn’t want to feel something, or if something felt too much – it was in fact a way of disconnecting. At that time, if you had said to me ‘go sit by a river and watch the ripples’ I would have laughed and lit up a figgie straight away as I was not wanting to re-connect with myself, I was wanting to numb myself. So whilst it is not a contradiction, I get that there were two things going on for me – the natural impulse to want to be present and just with me (which the act of smoking and drinking gave me for a split second), and concurrently the desire to numb my feelings and disconnect from myself..

     1. I get this Sarah, someone saying to me years ago when my children were young and I was anxious from morning to night, to go for a walk or relax… I would come up with a million and one reasons why I could not ever fit that in… or go to the many beliefs of that being a selfish thing to do and feel guilty about it. What supported me was watching others who lived in a more caring and loving way with themselves, were committed to what was needed to do and not using and being distracted by dramas, and taking an honest look at the beliefs and ideals I was running with.

     2. This is great Jennifer, noting how time for me is often not a healthy or loving time, more about dulling or numbing our sensitivity such as with smoking instead of developing it and enjoying it. Thanks to Universal Medicine it seems so natural now to embrace being sensitive and the wonder and joy it connects me with.

206. What came across in reading your words Sue is the quality of stillness and gentleness this has brought to your life and that you share with your clients. Stillness can be out of place to those who are racey but what a gift it is to feel there is another way.

207. I love what you have shared, Sue. Many people are seeking a moment of stillness or inner peace with cigarettes or alcohol without realising how racy it makes them. What a gift for them when you share the gentle breath with them.

208. When I was younger I never could sit still, I was always on the move doing something, or several things. My parents use to say she can never sit still. The only time I was still was when I was tired and fell, asleep. I was always on the go constantly pushing my body. I would go through lots of colds and fevers where my body would cause a stop. Since I have now understood the power of stillness and have been incorporating it into my life, I no longer suffer from colds the way I use too.

209. That is great exposed, that smoking is seeking for a moment in stillness with oneself. As it is – from my experience – also seeking moments of true encounter – through sharing the same activity, to “breath the same air”. Same as to drink alcohol or a coffee together. What a momentous mistake as it creates a counter situation. How great for your clients and for everyone to realize, what one is truly craving for and how some simple steps can bring us back to ourselves, with true stillness as the basis for true relationship.

210. This is a great blog bringing awareness to stillness. We can quite easily get into the momentum of doing and there are simple steps to just bring us back to our stillness, by closing our eyes, bringing awareness to our breath and parts of our body, gentle movements. All these things allows us to bring us back to the presence, with conscious presence we can deepen the stillness.

211. This is a gorgeous blog Sue, a gentle reminder of how simple it is to achieve stillness in our body via a gentle breath. When we overdo things we can feel the body’s pull to be still again, a loving gentle nudge that only asks us to be present with it.

212. I love this blog Sue as it exposes the drive we have as a society to reach out for relief through the use of alcohol and cigarettes. ‘I realised that what people often miss when they give up these things is the time to simply relax and just ‘be’, because our bodies really crave moments of stillness.’ – so very true. We all crave to have moments of stillness, to connect ourselves. And when we realise that this stillness is something we all have access to, ‘free of charge’ literally and figuratively, we discover that we can stop, connect and breathe at any time we choose, and be with our ever-present stillness.

     1. I agree Carola, we can choose to connect to stillness at any time, without any harmful substances but simply taking time out to stop, appreciate and to be in stillness.

213. Thank you Sue for sharing a really beautiful blog, and how the stillness we are missing in our lives is so simple to come back to, to just breathe and feel the body, a moment to connect.

214. Everyone craves that moment of stillness and peace. To do this without harming the body is still a work in progress. Your blog Sue is are simple reminder of a way it can be done that doesn’t feel unachievable.

215. As I was coming off the beach today there was a man looking out over the ocean with his cup of coffee and a cigarette. I remembered reading this blog some time ago in that moment and how true it was that when I used to smoke and drink coffee, I too was looking for a moment of peace and stillness, a time to be with me. What was lovely is, now that I have ceased smoking and drinking coffee, I didn’t feel judgmental for this man’s choices. It simply gave me an opportunity to reflect how less harmful to my body my moments of stillness are these days and to appreciate how far I have come in the depth of my relationship with me. Truly profound and absolutely gorgeous.

216. This gives a whole new understanding to why we use things to get moments of stillness not realising that in fact what we are doing has the opposite effect! Simply taking a moment and breathing gently rather than distracting myself with external stimulants! Awesome.

217. Moments of true stillness and connection as opposed to the relief that substances such as alcohol, coffee or cigarettes can briefly provide – what a precious offering.

     1. It is a precious offering Gabriele, those moments of stillness are gold.

218. This simple teaching Sue is life changing, we are rarely taught the simple message to connect to our own stillness and that it doesn’t come in a drink or a cigarette. Then the next step to connect to ourselves is also simple but profound as we learn to honour our own feelings and our bodies messages. Without stillness we literally are treating the body like a machine and we are far from that…

     1. What you have shared here Merrilee is so very true, creating stillness within oneself, is actually the antidote to so many ills in our society today. This is not just stopping and relaxing, this is about a quality that is held in the body, that actually helps to bring the body back to its equilibrium.

219. The end of the day is a definite time to unwind for most people, and for some of us we don’t know that there is a more natural way to do this. Therefore teaching others who would like an different way to experience this, quiet meditation is definitely the answer. Thank you for sharing this important information Sue.

220. Thank you for this blog Sue, it really brought home to me something I already knew – that the ‘me’ time after work, a moment to feel my body and just come back to me is super supportive. Without that pause that non stop buzzing doesn’t stop and now that I type that it makes sense that more pauses in the day would be beneficial if I have felt the affect of what one pause a day makes. And as I read this I’ll admit I sat there with my hands resting on my legs and I did feel much steadier in myself, it is that simple as focusing on our hands and feet and the rest of us!

     1. Pausing and reconnecting to my body is so beautiful to do during my day. On the days when I take the time to pause and spend moments solely for myself, I feel much grander and connected to the bigger plan than on those days that I do not take the moments, but continue to choose for going outwardly and busy in the doing. On those days I tend to lose myself in the business of the day, disconnected from the grandness I am part of, as a separated unit of life trying to cope to the best of my ability, instead of the days I choose to reconnect to myself on a regular basis, where everything flows and my feeling of self worth is filled with the love and care I give to myself.

        1. Pausing and reconnecting during my day is something I am still working on, when I make time and connect I can feel the difference in my flow, when I don’t, I get caught up in the doing and busyness of my day.

221. The stopping is so hard and the anxious energy that people feel even just when they consider slowing down for a holiday or rest is very telling. I find people create a drama to avoid the stop. How telling it is that you cannot stand to just be with yourself.

     1. Gail just in reading your comment it sent shivers up my spine as I so related to the inability to rid myself of the anxious energy that coursed through my body. It was a force to be reckoned with but thankfully I understand that driving force and it no longer rules me.

     2. Absolutely Gail. I have been the master of this for a long time. These days I’m better practiced though and bit by bit I welcome more and more stillness because as it builds up, the more the feeling of anxiousness feels really bad in my body by contrast and the less I want to be in it.

     3. Very telling Gail, and showing how much reaction we hold in our bodies that we do not want to stop and feel. How much we hold back from expressing what is not true and loving in the world. And how when we focus on finding the answers ‘out there’ we are swamped with even more distractions.

222. The measures that we take to ignore and disregard our body are quite extreme. We take up all sorts of habits that we actually know are no good for us so that we don’t have to feel the pain of how far we have separated from our beautiful natural selves.

223. Exquisite in it’s simpleness. Incredibly life changing in its power. This blog supports not only for myself the confirmation of the benefits of presence and stillness in our lives, but the urge and responsibility to share all of this with everyone.

224. At one extreme as a nurse you encounter people who have contracted lung or liver cancer after having ignored early warnings, and even continuing to smoke or drink after being diagnosed. This may have partly been because of not wanting to feel and explore the emotional pain that arose when they tried to stop smoking or drinking. There may be layers of abuse here – holding the emptiness inside with the lifestyle choices, the hurts underneath that chose emptiness in the first place and even deeper, the choice to take on the initial hurt and leave the loving essence we were born as.

     The tragedy in these cases is the loving essence and stillness is still there within, and you can feel it under the deep hurt, even in bodies riddled with cancer. Universal Medicine healing sessions have supported me to realise that the pain is not who we are, nor the hurt, and the underlying connection is true healing of all the layers right through to the lifestyle choices.

225. What a great blog, I never even considered that all we are craving is stillness and things like smoking, drinking, caffeine are being used to create that stop to feel the stillness, but instead we are stimulated due to the fact that they are all stimulants. But as you put it simply, we can take those stop moments to connect to our breath and body, to feel the stillness and go deeper. The beautiful thing with the gentle breath is we actually feel vitality and connection to the deeper stillness in our inner core. How amazing is this.

     1. It is amazing how many substances available to give us a brief taste of stillness with isn’t actually stillness but tricks our mind in thinking it is. True stillness is when we connect to our body without outer influences but by truly connecting to ourselves and our body with our gentle breath.

226. Very wise comment Sue “I realised that what people often miss when they give up these things is the time to simply relax and just ‘be’, because our bodies really crave moments of stillness.”

     This is an amazing understanding to anyone who wishes to kick a unhealthy habit. This blogs gets us to be real with of vices and to see why we use them. What if I drank to not deal with my kids,instead of saying I do it to relax. Both are honest responses, however one is closer to the root cause than the other.

     It is beneficial to get super honest about why we do the things we do. Otherwise we will be stuck in the endless cycle of struggle and reprieve.

227. I can imagine that when you stop smoking or drinking it is easy to then not take time with yourself and get on with the things in your day. To introduce connecting with ourselves in stillness is amazing and I can feel in myself how my whole body loves moments of stillness. Thank you for sharing Sue.

     1. This is so true Lieke, it can be a life changing experience when people stop smoking or drinking. Then re- learning other ways of being with oneself is huge, which is to connect. There are reason, hurts that have been there, hence why have started smoking or drinking in the first place, so they need to be felt into and healed. So the old patterns do not and can not reappear.

        1. It is blogs like these and comments shared like yours raegankcaireny that gives us all an opportunity to stop for a moment and feel that yes we all have hurts and that there is a possibility to heal them.

228. This is such a significant blog Sue. Stillness is great medicine, as it is who we are. It stops us from momentums and choices when we are disconnected. It brings us back to ourselves. The greatest medicine of all is to live our stillness – to live the truth of who we are.

     1. Absolutely Marcia Stillness is great medicine.

     2. Stillness is the greatest medicine and to live the stillness in our everyday is the key. We have so many tools and techniques shared by Universal Medicine to bring us back to stillness, what a wonderful gift.

     3. So very true Marcia, we have underestimated the true power and importance of connecting to our stillness. It is, as you and Sue both share, truly universal and great medicine to connect to our stillness, as from here we can connect back to who we truly are.

     4. Awesome Marcia, I love what you’ve shared, ‘The greatest medicine of all is to live our stillness’. It is so simple yet we often make life too complicated. By bring it back to simplicity and connecting to stillness is definitely the way to go.

        1. Yes chanly88. It has certainly been a gradual process for me to understand, experience and develop a stillness and quality that supports me in all that i do in my day. Always learning and constantly deepening.

229. This is so beautiful to read Sue. I loved the way you supported your clients with some simple techniques for reconnection back to their bodies and their stillness. Once stillness is felt and the simplicity of life within in this is experienced who would ever want to return to the raciness and stimulation that most of us have lived.

     1. I agree Anne, once we experience this stillness, it’s hard to imagine why we choose not to feel this. However I have found in my own experience that it is sometimes still easy to get caught back up in the momentum of patterns of very familiar behaviours, so the key for me has not been to criticise or judge myself, but just to be honest and to have the opportunity to consider why I might have been stepping away from this stillness… And then simply to work on building a foundation of stillness with more consistency. The esoteric modalities and the Gentle Breath Meditation have been great supports in this area!

230. Stillness has been a precious gift which I have always known within, but it has been great to have learnt to re-connect to myself and my stillness through the support of Universal Medicine. Being connected in every moment is the most beautiful thing every, ever moment is precious with the clarity it brings to one’s life. It is beautiful to live in this stillness and be able to reflect it to others. Gentle breath meditation is a simple way to connect to this stillness when we feel out of balance.

231. Offering your clients a moment to truly stop and feel the stillness that is so easily accessible but usually unknown, is deeply beautiful. What a blessing and a healing for them to now take that with them into their life and back to their families. This is an amazing tool that all practitioners should offer, for in a world in constant motion, the importance and power of taking the time to stop is greatly underestimated.

232. Connecting with myself, my tenderness and my stillness is a choice; sounds simple but not always that easy.
     As you have suggested Sue, the Gentle Breath Meditation is a great way to bring ourselves back into a level of stillness.
     Being in stillness and present with children certainly supports them to be the same.
     Your blog Sue is a lovely reminder that we can choose stillness any time any where.

233. This blog is huge to re-read – just really connecting with the message of how people create moments in their lives with a drink or smoke as examples, when those moments are available to us all the time without drowning out the body with numbing substances. I agree Sue when people simply stop and turn their attention inwards to their bodies, they feel the power of it. It is understanding and valuing the simplicity of this and how it can be part of our daily rhythm that can bring these moments of connection to our everyday and this makes the true difference. Hence the importance of the understanding that you have shared.

234. What a great blog, people are just wanting a moment to themselves amongst the demands of life going on around them. The gentle breath meditation is a great tool for that connection back to yourself.

235. Hi Rachel, what you describe here is like finding the holy grail of life. Stillness… it is something so simple, yet a living thing that resides in each and every one of us all, forever awaiting our reconnection.

236. Such a beautiful blog Sue. I can relate to what you shared in regards to the children. Many times I have tried and tested this with my children and it works hands down 100% of the time. We all enjoy stillness as it is our natural way.

237. It is incredible how we have collectively learned to override the body’s calls for stillness through the use of stimulants like alcohol and cigarettes. I love how you recount how you have supported others in making a genuine response to the body’s needs through the simple act of presence, without the need for anything else whatsoever.
     How preferable and more effective is that than turning to substances that harm the body and are actually speeding it up further when it is seeking a true rhythm of stillness?
     I can’t help but wonder where we get that impulse to harm and to override from…..

238. “These moments are our search for stillness, but the substances we choose to use actually take us away from true stillness.” This is such a simple realization you are sharing here Sue, that can really help to get to the root cause of why it is seems so hard at times to give up substances that harm us.

239. How disturbing that for many many millions of people, the only way they know to ‘ feel’ stillness is to consume things that do exactly the opposite… Humanity is so much in need of true and honest reflections of what stillness and connection actually mean, and to feel the simplicity of the connection that is possible through gentleness and the heart.

     1. That is beautifully expressed, cjames2012: in the face of what Sue presents here, it is very evident that humanity is certainly in need of a different reflection – a reflection that honours and presents the truth of who we are in essence, our true and very real stillness and presence. I have felt such grace when I have been racy or not with myself and find myself in the company of a person who is with themselves: I have been able instantly to drop more fully into my body and re connect with myself, something I have noticed my lungs are instantly appreciative of, as they start to breathe deeply and fully.

240. Thank you Sue for sharing the insight you have gained about why people crave cigarettes and alcohol and what they are actually really wanting – ironically it’s stillness.
     It really is so interesting that the one thing they want they can’t have when the using those substances.
     Learning about this has been an incredible support for me, I used to also hang out for wine and cigarettes but now I want nothing more than a deep connection with me.
     Stillness is the most amazing feeling my body could have, it’s amazing how things change when we start to love ourselves inside and out!

241. Yes this is so so simple, and we need it deeply, yet often we find it the first thing to let go of, or push down the priority list.

242. I agree Rachel. There is so much joy in stillness, a lovely expansive feeling of just being and the more I choose it the better it becomes!

243. Do we really want the cigarette, the alcohol, the food or are they the excuses for allowing ourselves these moments to rest, where we would otherwise feel guilty to take time to just ‘be’ with ourselves? Making time for ‘precious moments’ to be still and simply connect back to ourselves are what make a complete life of difference.

     1. I agree, Barbara: where do we get the notion that it is NOT ok simply to spend time with ourselves, to enjoy what you describe as precious moments? What is the source of this madness and why is there always the guilt?

244. In my experience – things like caffeine in tea and coffee, the sugar in alcohol, and the nicotine in cigarettes, all make us racy, giving us “borrowed’ energy. The problem is that we are borrowing it from ourselves. Our already exhausted bodies are artificially stimulated to run faster inside than our natural rhythm. This creates a cycle of feeling exhausted craving things that give us an energy fix that then make us feel exhausted.
     Learning to function and live from our natural rhythm doesn’t mean you have to do less it just means doing it in a different way.

245. What you share here Sue is so beautiful, simple and true and what is even better, its freely available any time, any place that I choose. Thank you for reminding me of this fact!

246. Wow. That struck a chord. That what we’re looking for is merely a moment of stillness. Instead we reach for a source of distraction and numbing, whatever that may be for each one of us. I’m going to be more open to taking a moment of stillness when I get one of those ‘nudges’, finding myself thinking about indulging in a treat that my body really isn’t hungry for. Maybe it’s merely hungry for some stillness in amongst the fatigue brought on by all that mental activity…

247. Thank you Sue for reminding me that I can give myself the gift of stillness any time anywhere.

248. i recently did the gentle breathing with year 2s and one little boy was fully there, I asked him how he felt to share with the class, he said “my body gets warm, and warmer it feels nice” how amazing to learn you have the power to connect to a source that fills you up with love at a young age so then you have a choice of what to do in moments of stress etc, whereas the adults in most children’s lives are self medicating with drugs etc including food. There is another way.

249. I remember the first time I experienced stillness, it was a truly amazing feeling in my body. I had never felt this deep connection or expansion in my body before – it was a life-changing moment for me that forever I will be appreciative of.

250. In the same way a car needs fuel to take us from A to B, stillness is the fuel our bodies require, providing us with clarity, with truth and an expression that serves all. When we move in stillness, as Matthew points out above, walking our stillness is when we magnify this feeling and connection.

251. Great Sue, yes, we can have this feeling within our day by choosing to begin each step we take with being in connection. It takes a little conscious effort at first, but that certainly pays off when that rhythm begins to be ‘the way’ that each and every step is taken. Making moments of stillness during the day, then walking with this stillness, and we magnify this feeling and connection. For me this has been revolutionary to the way I live, think and feel about myself, my family, friends and humanity. It has, and still is, causing great changes with each and every step.

     1. I love this the way that if we start making concious present choices then the choices naturally becomes part of our rhythm and therefore they are a normal part of our livingness.

252. I really enjoyed the understanding and awareness here Sue of the harmful habits we humans can get hooked into in order to get a moment to stop. When you say it like this you remind me of the power of simply stopping to spend a few minutes with our bodies and breathe and how easily everyone can be touched by themselves when a little space is made for this. You have inspired me also to share this with others – thank you.

253. Since learning and discovering many ways to self care, (and this has been gradual over time), this has been revolutionary in ways of introducing moments of stillness during my day. This is indeed medicinal tonic for health and well being.

254. Stopping and connecting to a stillness inside can be challenging at times, especially when I have been rushing around, and I know that it also shows me how far I have allowed myself to stray from a calm, steady presence. But I love and appreciate the fact that slowly my ability to connect and hold that stillness is building.

     1. Yes gilesch- I know this feeling too- that I have at times been racy and wanted to avoid sitting with myself – it is a funny combination then isn’t it – we all do crave a moment to stop and be still, to re-connect but even before a substance is reached for there is already an intensity to be felt, a raciness perhaps that also has us humans reaching for a substance in these stop moments. So your comment reinforces for me how I can support others and that there is a place to support others stopping in the way Sue has described as it can be difficult to do this for and by ourselves at times. In fact, if I have not been supported through learning to stop with guidance of a gentle breath meditation or Esoteric Yoga practice I am not sure I would be doing this on my own so easily today.

        1. Yes, Deanne – it feels like one of those paradoxes that life seemingly offers us. We crave those moments of stillness and yet when we give our body a moment to be still our mind steps in and takes over the show. The intensity can feel too much and yet when we are able to stay with it, it becomes an illusion that can be dispelled by the Gentle Breath Meditation. As you have said I am not sure I would be able to do this without all the support and love that I have received from Universal Medicine.

     2. Yesterday, I found when confronted with a veiled accusation, I observed what was going on and connected to the stillness within. It meant I did not react and let the accusation affect my way of being with the person. I chose instead to be calm, steady and present.

255. When I take a moment to reconnect to stillness it can be really powerful, making eye contact with children is also a powerful thing, I have noticed in making eye contact and true connection that children’s behaviour does change. As you say there is no need to rah rah Universal Medicine or the esoteric but this is also my source of inspiration, relearning how to make life work.

256. Universal Medicine has taught to me how to connect to the stillness within, and that exposed what I used to think ‘relaxing’ or ‘calming’ was in fact just numbing and distracting myself – nowhere near stillness. And as an ex-smoker/drinker, I know what I was looking for from these substances was that exact numbing/distracting effect, and not stillness.

257. Never bought into the image of a cigarette to enjoy a moment. Never equalled smoking with pleasure. This is good. Otherwise I would have been hooked big time. Alcohol was different. Although this was definitely my thing, there were moments when I enjoyed the ‘loosening up.’ In the last years, thanks to Universal Medicine and Serge Benhayon, I have experienced things of amazing beauty simply connecting to the much more we are and come from. There is no parallel to this. Loosening up does not really lead you anywhere in terms of connecting, hence beauty.

258. I love stopping and being with me, if only for a moment, breathing gently and connecting to how I am feeling, but I am also aware of how many distractions there are around me constantly trying to nudge me away from these stop moments. These days if I allow the distraction to win, I ask myself – what is it that I am being distracted from feeling? – and the answer is always there. Once I establish what it is, it is much easier to stop and come back to me, and the best way I know how to do this is by taking the time to connect to my breath and begin to breathe gently.

259. Sue, your comment that some parents “have noticed that when they are ‘actively present’ with their kids by maintaining eye contact and really connecting ‘with’ them, they are lovely and calm and less aggressive” does not only apply to kids. It has been my experience that when we are actively present with everyone we meet, be they friends or strangers, they respond to the fact that you are meeting them. I have even had strangers comment if I see them again “I remember you because you were so nice!”

     1. Thank you Sue, Anne and Serge Benhayon, I agree, when you look at anyone at any time, people feel that connection and reflect it back to you.

260. Sue, I love the simplicity you bring to light to have moments in life to just be and relax without having to harm the body.

     1. Yes, these moments of stillness are so important and deeply nurturing – we really should not need an excuse to have them.

261. Such a simple technique that takes just a few minutes and yet is so profound in bringing me back to stillness in my body. Lovely sharing Sue.

262. Sue I remember so clearly craving that feeling of rest on the inside. I used sport, drugs, meditation and yoga to get that feeling and to maintain some sense of calm. The problem with feeling calm is it’s very temporary when it simply covers up the unrest that is underneath it.The gentle breath meditation is a fantastic tool to use to bring people to the natural stillness that is within us all. That beauty of that stillness that resides inside is that it’s permanent and accessible whenever we choose to re connect with it.

263. I see at work people feeling “guilty” to take 5min to stop, connect or be still with themselves, as there is often a culture of others constantly looking busy and then judging. Yet should they go and have a coffee, have a cigarette then it’s accepted. It’s a great blog that shows the importance of taking moments of stillness when we get caught up.

     1. I know this one well David, have been there myself and still go there sometimes. Someone I know and fearful of space, repeatedly says that doing nothing (no activity) wastes her time and life, and as you say feels guilty if she’s not doing something.. Recently I worked with her in a way that offered no activity, left her to just to be with herself. It led to her sharing how she was truly feeling. Being fixated on activity can often be a way of stopping ourselves from connecting to how we’re really feeling.

264. No amount of money can buy what we bestow within and that’s connecting to our inner stillness. Thank you Sue.

265. The simple tool of creative a moment of stillness in our busy days is the gift we give ourselves to replenish our body and mind. So simple, easy and beauty-full.

266. Beautifully said Sue, “our bodies really crave moments of stillness.” When I stop and give myself space to connect to my inner self and be still I feel the warmth, tenderness and love that is within me. Before I listened to presentations by Serge Benhayon I was like your clients and thought I needed a glass of wine to unwind but it never offered me the warmth, tenderness and love that I was seeking.

     1. Thank you Mary, you describe this so well and I couldn’t agree more.

267. Thank you Sue for the reminder of just how simple these moments can be, no incense, special lights and music, contrived seating positions, just us with ourselves.

268. Taking the time to stop, connect to me and to breathe gently has made such a huge impact on my life. In my experience it only takes a few minutes and I can feel all of me again. I use this simple techniques several times a day at work and it refreshes me so easily; each time I open my eyes I am amazed at how different I feel. This is such simple, but powerful medicine!

     1. Ingrid I agree. To stop and breathe gently is so energising and can be done any time, I find it so helpful… Powerful medicine indeed.

269. Thanks Sue. We all need those moments of stillness if not more often to be able to connect with our selves, it’s great the service you bring when sharing this with others.

270. Thanks Sue. I’m going to consider that when I’m out and about. I don’t drink or use any substances, but I still definitely avoid stillness. It is wonderful when I do connect with stillness though, I feel I can express myself so much easier and I find I can see a lot clearer, I feel more centred and ready to deal with life.

     1. Very true harryjwhite. I find when I have an investment in what somebody thinks of me, stillness goes bye bye.

271. I used to rush around all day and then only stop when I got home and chill out in front of the TV. I no longer need to do this because I can enjoy taking moments in the day just to check what is happening….is my body getting racey? Am I trying to do too much? I can still get caught up in this but I am much more aware of this these days and now the TV is a redundant piece of technology in the corner of my living room.

     1. Recently, after an intense period of work, instead of switching on to me to find out what was happening, I chose to switch on the TV and did so for a couple of days. I felt the impact on my body, immediately a numbing and fogginess. However tired I may be, choosing to switch on to me and be still is the only way.

        1. “instead of switching on to me to find out what was happening, I chose to switch on the TV” I find this remarkably interesting, I wonder how many of us go on TV, the internet, or read a newspaper to find out what is going on in the world before we first check in and feel what is going on in our bodies, quite bizarre.

272. Sue, you write this with an understanding and love that helps the reader stop and melt — and become super still. Very beautiful and inspiring to read how you are with your clients, sharing you and supporting them with such true care that they can be inspired to seek this way of life that lets them feel their own stillness themselves.

273. It makes life so much more simple when we allow these moments of stillness into our lives. They are moments of reconnection with the truth inside, with the solidness, the support and the purpose to life that can be felt deep within. It is a true blessing for your clients Sue Kira that you can bring this awareness in your practice and present it to them.

274. Life can be so simple when we choose simplicity. Your blog allowed me to recall those moments when I would seek refuge in a cigarette and glass of wine and how that whole procedure was so complicated, expensive and self abusive – and at the time I didn’t consider anything but the relief. The simple beauty of closing our eyes and connecting to our breath for a few minutes really does give us something that builds into an amazing support system for our body – and everything else around us.

     1. Susan, I love the honesty you’ve shared about where you seeked ‘refuge’ and how you didn’t consider your health when it was the relief that was all that mattered. It’s amazing that closing ones eyes and being with oneself is so much more supportive. The tunnel vision that focusing on relief without consideration of the wider costs to our health and wellbeing can be so destructive.

        1. Yes, Karin, as you say ‘closing one’s eyes and being with oneself is so much more supportive’ and so simple – it can immediately connect us to all the wisdom that we have available when we reach within, as a steady and constant guide to life. It is a resource that is ‘freely’ available to all – and so much more sustaining than any of the ‘free offers’ that the material world may tempt us with.

     2. I too used cigarettes and alcohol for relief but truly the only relief I was getting was stopping me from feeling what really was going on for me. Connecting to our bodies and being honest and open with what is being felt from the body to express is a lot more healing then any wine or cigarette will ever be.

     3. I love the distinction between choosing ‘relief which is expensive and self abusive’ as opposed to choosing ‘building a support system for our body – and everything else around us. When you frame it so simply, one is abuse and one is self loving, now that makes the choice simple when we see the truth.

275. Thanks Sue for sharing your experiences. I have found that the more present I am with myself, the more consistency I can bring to my day and that this then has a positive impact on everyone around me. This is such a gift all round!

276. So true Sue, it doesn’t require complicated or expensive things, just a simple process of reconnection to something inside of us. And to be able to see how many things we use to take us away from this is a truly empowering step forward to be able to access and deepen our own stillness any time we choose.

277. Sue, I had never connected that drink, smoke, Coffee to us craving to be still. Thank you this really does explain so much as to why so many ‘need’ these substances in their lives.

278. I understand what you are saying Sue, years ago I would reach for the smokes, alcohol, coffee and sweets for some type of reprieve or comfort and all they did was make me feel so much worse

279. This blog is so beautiful to read Sue as it offers a depth of understanding of the stillness we are looking for even if our choices of how we get there are in fact counter to what we are wanting to achieve. You describe the sip and the drag so well. Once I learnt how to connect to the stillness I didn’t need those stimulants anymore, my body literally didn’t even crave them, I simply stopped. The challenge then became one of honouring this stillness without enjoining the social aspects that come with these habits. This took me to another level of stillness and acceptance of self and what has happened is my social life has improved rather than lessened because of this choice. I feel I can now connect with more grace, wisdom and understanding with others and there is a lot more joy in my relationships.

280. Sue, I really enjoyed your blog because it is a situation many are in or have been in. Searching for that relaxation or ‘me’ time through substances seems a quick and easy fix. How delightful that you are able to show clients a different way to be with themselves and unwind.

281. Oh the irony – we seek the stillness we have departed from by seeking substances that take us further from it…yep, I’ve known that one. What a set-up! Thankyou Sue.

282. Thank you for sharing Sue and I love how you reflect to your clients what they are looking for and present an alternative to harming substances that is free and accessible wherever you are. Beautiful.

283. When life feels so bustingly busy it is heavenly to know how simple it can be to access the stillness we so miss within ourselves. If we can connect and carry this through our days then the weight of time lifts and space unfolds.

284. Awesome Sue, this is something that can resonate with anyone and everyone – having those moments to really just be, and just by stopping, breathing gently and being with our body.

285. Taking a moment to just be and feel that stillness within feels so much more inviting than another coffee or stimulant to keep going. With such a simple technique as you describe with the breathing, this can be done any time during the day anywhere, what a great tool to take to the day.

286. Stillness is what we all crave, especially at the end of the day and your blog illustrates how simple it really is to be that. Thank you Sue.

287. Wow Sue, awesome blog. I really loved that you shared how you stopped at the river on the your way home from work. My whole body relaxed reading that- it’s a great idea and sounds very lovely to give that one to yourself. I know I haven’t done that in a while without feeling like I have to do something as well. I too have noted that being calm and present with the people I meet at work makes a huge difference… When I am connecting with them the interactions are so much different compared to when I am out, stressed or cranky.

288. Thank you I really enjoyed reading this and it gives me a lot to reflect on as to how often I create those moments of stillness.

289. Without the space taken to connect to my stillness life felt more like going around in a mouse wheel. Since picking up the tool of Gentle Breath Meditation as offered by Serge Benhayon the stop is there anytime I feel to choose to take it. The more I do the more ‘me’ I feel, and less and less is the feeling of being a couple of steps behind myself.

290. It is beautiful that you can share this with your patients, the world is in desperate need of stillness and the ability to just come to who they truly are inside.

291. It seems we are always pressed for time to get through life, yet the simple step of stopping in that moment and connecting to our breath has such immense healing in the technique and is great medicine. Thank you Sue, this is a great reminder.

292. I so agree that we crave moments of stillness. Life for most people these days is so busy and we know that we cannot keep going at the pace that we do. What I have learned for myself is that it is often not about taking large chunks of time out for myself, but rather about looking at the way that I am in my day and the way that I do things, because I can be still within myself even as I go about my daily life.

293. Interesting to feel those moments when we need to take a pause in the day and connect with stillness and what choice we make in those moments. I have noticed that when I have been in a rush, or caught up in what I am doing and not really feeling my body and my movement, there is a tendency to not want to just stop and feel – like a momentum takes me into doing something else. Or if I stop in this state, I am not really truly stopping and becoming attentive to myself, but instead become mentally occupied (checking internet, phone, what’s on tv etc). When instead I bring a quality of connection and presence into daily activity, those moments are very easy and confirming and not so confronting.

294. It is such a simple thing to stop and connect to ourselves, yet we are not taught how to do that. I see the people at my work place every day come outside for a cigarette and or coffee, to have a moment to be with themselves, but numbing or racing their bodies, so they are in fact not with their bodies.

295. This is one of those blogs that really makes me appreciate that everyone can share a perspective on the same subject in many different ways. That desperation for relief I have felt in life and still do and in the past have turned to hiding in the bathroom or eating foods – what if they too are just cries for stillness? Because like all the other vices I turned to over the years it was a momentary relief then I could ‘carry on’ or so I thought until the next time whenever that next time came around again. What if the body is not designed to keep going like the Battery Bunny? Almost everyone I know in life say they need, want or crave a ‘down time’ or ‘me time’ but the way we have been taught or perceived to achieve said time clearly isn’t working if that need, want and crave still remains. Thank you for this Sue.

296. Sue I totally relate. When I was raising children my cuppa time was a signal that I needed time out. And yes, it was a strong coffee, so it revved me up for the next leg of the day. No wonder I was in a state of exhaustion for decades. Then the same pattern was repeated in the workplace for many years, though I’ve changed that now. It is simple to stop, but I do not always allow that moment of stillness for myself. Thank you for reminder.

297. It is so true Sue, the stillness we crave is so simply found if we look in the right places. Just allowing ourselves the moment to be, without any demands, even the demands of stimulants and substances is a truly healing choice of medicine.

298. Stillness is what we crave and yet make unknowingly make choices that further remove us from this state. A living stillness in our way of being is not supported by this world, from very young it becomes all about what we do. To come back to this stillness can be a challenge but ultimately the most liberated state to be in.

299. Sue this is so simple, and so profound. What you share with people so simply about connecting to stillness is huge! It is not something we are told we can do, and so do so erroneously and feel we need substances to help us do this – because this is the majority of what we are shown in life. For me too the opportunity to realise I don’t need any substance to relax, or enjoy life has been crucial – as these substances (i.e. caffeine) were largely contributing to the exhaustion cycle I was experiencing. It’s so great people have you to connect to and learn such a simple way to be with themselves. Thank you for sharing.

300. What you share Sue just shows that there is nothing we need outside of ourselves to feel that grand stillness that we all carry within us….

301. Great points Sue, I remember I used to have a bath with locked door just to get a few moments of ‘peace’. But allowing ourselves to just be without any need to be doing is a very valid point its not something most of us allow for ourselves although we probably suggest it to others!

302. Very true and very useful for all of us to realize that the body craves moments of stillness, and to choose the ones that don´t harm us. I also became aware through reading your blog that I still choose healthy options like herb tea to sit down and just be. Or a walk in nature, I use nature to feel reconnected to that place inside, like there has to be something on the outside, when actually we don´t need anything really except our breath, the feeling in our body, eyelids, fingertips, chest, to reconnect and feel the yumminess inside.

303. Beautiful blog – Moments of stillness – Mmmm lovely.

304. Brilliant article Sue – so simple and relatable. Thank you!

305. So simple but so true what you have shared Sue – moments of stillness, allowing those moments to just be and not to feel they have to be filled up with something to justify the quiet moment.

306. A moment to just be and take a breath is so powerful and so simple. Why would we want to fill up those precious moments with anything that is harming? For me it was food, I would stop and snack, not because I was hungry, but because I wanted to stop. Now I simply just stop and feel my breath and my body throughout the day. If I am stiff I gently move where it is stiff and it usually clears.

     1. Thanks Bernard, I can so relate! Love how you keep things super simple and super practical! A great reminder! 😉

307. This is great that your clients get to feel that they don’t need anything else than presence in their bodies to get calm and relaxed.

308. What you share here Sue, is so beautifully simple and readily available to anyone at any moment throughout the day. The seeming simplicity of returning to stillness may belie the huge health and wellbeing benefits of this practice, my own experience is that it has changed my life immeasurably, and continues to. When in my stillness and confronted by a difficult situation or feeling I can always see/feel a clearer way, the stillness allows me a space, a space to make a more loving choice.

309. I really love your point, Sue, about taking the time to be still. lt’s been quite a revelation to see how simple it is and that it Is the ‘moment’ of stillness people are missing. Perhaps when that is pointed out, there will be less of what shuts us down and more of what opens us out.

310. This article is gold Sue, thank-you for writing it.
     I can completely relate, from a past of seeking a moment with myself by dragging back on a cigarette – yet knowing that I was in fact sabotaging my lungs, and my body’s true ability to relax, by having it. I came to realise that smoking a cigarette in the moments I simply just wanted to be and let the tension of life go… that I was actually doing my best to confirm that ‘simply being’ was not possible to myself.
     Thank God for Universal Medicine, and the plethora of oh-so-simple tools that are shared with us, that we CAN all know how readily we can ‘simply be’, and that it is via our choices in and with our bodies, that we can support ourselves to do so. I shared with someone recently, that we are ‘stuffed’ without stillness! Knowing the quality of stillness as something very familiar now in my body (this took time, but is worth it beyond words…), it is something that anyone can get to know, and in the interests of our ‘true health’ to develop a relationship with it.
     Your clients are blessed indeed, Sue.

311. Sue this is a great reminder to take those few precious moments to be with ourselves and that it only takes making the choice to do so.

312. Loved the way this blog began, with the very clear understanding of what people ‘enjoy’ when they take in alcohol or nicotine. Yet isn’t it interesting that people tend to need more of these substances as time goes by to retain the feeling of relief, so not only do such habits not help reduce the need, they possibly add to it. It was also great in this blog that a true alternative to the use of alcohol and cigarettes was addressed. I found it important that this alternative, a sense of connecting to a place of stillness and harmony within (my own words), is natural and not taking on any other quick fix, but brings the potential to certainly reduce stress and anxiety in life and build a wonderful level of wellbeing, on top of that.

313. Sue, I have also noticed that when I am ‘actively present’ with children by maintaining eye contact and really connecting ‘with’ them, they are lovely and calm and less aggressive. However, this does not only apply to children but to everyone we meet throughout our day. If we treated each other like this as a natural way of being, we would not need any time-out or personal moment of stillness as our whole day would flow effortlessly and it would be a joy to be with others.

314. True Sue, we are all seeking stillness, inner peace and connectedness. You made me think what if at work we had ‘stillness’ breaks throughout the day at work instead of ‘smokes’ .. how great would that be.

     1. Love that idea Jeanette! In the meantime we’ll have to create our own stillness breaks.

        1. Indeed, my own ‘stillness breaks’. Thank you Sue for writing this, I particularly notice how when I’m out of myself my kids are harder to be with making it worse all round. Next time instead on battling on through and getting overwelmed I’m going to call timeout for myself as an opportunity to reconnect to my stillness.

315. A great reminder of having a moment of stillness is actually very simple and easy. Thank you Sue for writing this.

316. It is profound how we crave for this ‘quiet time’, but we fill it with noise.
     It is true with simple education and awareness we are able to give ourselves the best possible chance to rest, recover and recoup. However how often do we really give this to ourselves?

     1. I really feel what you have written Luke. We all need that intimate connection time yet so many of us can run from it.

        1. The trick that there is a much needed time to regather and recollect however many (including myself) misinterpret this by having an adequate amount of time, doing relaxing actives and having sometime out. We look for a remedy when the remedy is within. And we must take stock the remedy is felt to be so sorely needed because we had been looking ‘out side’ for an extended period already.

317. We do need those moments of stillness and recollection, time just for ourselves – and as you rightly point out, it doesn’t make sense to fill it up with substances that actually harm the body. Are we possibly using these substances as an excuse and alibi, especially at work: “Can’t you see that I am having a break?” And wouldn’t it be great if we just took those moments without the alibi?

     1. Such a valid point Gabriele. It’s like we think we need an excuse to stop and just be, perhaps believing that we have to earn this, not feeling worthy enough of simply giving this to ourselves as something so simple and foundational in our day to day life.

318. Thanks, Sue, for what you have shared here. For me, when I allow myself to feel stillness it is so incredibly healing. Allowing more of my natural stillness to be present in all that I do (even when I sleep) feels very supportive to me and my body, as well as all those around me, including my kids. It is truly amazing how stillness works its magic.

319. Yes I too love to take a little soul walk for myself after work along the river. It is pure heaven. Its funny just how simple it really is to take a few minutes and just be still with ourselves and feel how awesome we are.

320. Thank you Sue for such a great blog, I recall how I used to take time out and have a cigarette – wanting to connect and feel still. What an illusion! I wasn’t even a smoker! I tried to gain something from this experience, only to feel more empty and further away from myself. My life has changed enormously since attending Universal Medicine presentations and I have discovered many simple and beautiful ways to connect with myself and truly feel what stillness is.

321. Thank for the gentle reminder Sue. Sometimes we can get a little too busy and forget ourselves in the process.

322. I really appreciated reading this Sue, what you share here is so simple, practical and accessible for us all at anytime we choose. We have an opportunity to build these moments regularly throughout the day so we don’t end up exhausted or needing to ‘take the edge’ off with a false relaxant/stimulant.

     1. Absolutely Marcia and I also love how Sue presents it to her clients in such a straightforward way.

323. It is so true what you say Sue, that we all do crave and search for moments of stillness. Yet we have lost touch in what way that would serve us best to support us so we can experience and build more moments of our stillness. I too have found a beautiful way to re-connect with my stillness through the philosophical teachings of Universal Medicine. And I also agree that these techniques have been a –‘deeply profound experience’ and it’s amazing to ‘feel how easily we can feel this way any time we choose.’ A beautiful article – thank you.

     1. Indeed Carola, especially the gentle breath meditation and esoteric yoga can be deeply supportive of getting back to ourselves and our inner stillness.

324. This is great Sue, it really can be as simple as just stopping, connecting and being present – nothing fancy, but oh so effective!

325. Yes, I agree Sue, moments of stillness and connecting with ourselves are so important.

326. this is brilliant Sue, and such an easy thing to integrate into daily life. I have found that just taking a moment to check in and feel how my body is or how my breath is can completely change the way i feel and really relax my body. And it is so much cheaper then alcohol and cigarettes 🙂

327. Isn’t it amazing that we think we have to do something to relax instead of just being – nothing to do, nowhere to go, breathing gently in and out, just being with yourself – simple.

328. The magic of stillness, that is what I read between the lines. It is so close at hand, yet we make choices that keep us away from it like the alcohol, cigarettes or go for a run. I have experienced that something so simple as sitting down for a moment and do the gentle breathing whilst very present with my body, makes me drop into this stillness. I don’t need to go anywhere, nor do anything. It fills me, although somehow it feels it has been there all along. We have Gold in our lap; It just asks from us a conscious choice of connecting to it.

329. Thank you Sue for bringing my awareness to how I choose to relax and look at why I can’t just be with me in those moments.

330. What a lovely blog. It made me realise that most of what we use to relax now days actually takes us away from ourselves, rather than giving us an opportunity to connect to that stillness within. Apart from the wine, cigarettes and coffee that you mention, some may watch TV or a movie, play a video game, check Facebook or exercise vigorously. How lovely that your clients get a moment to feel their stillness and then tools to return to that when they choose to.

331. Brilliant blog highlighting the truth of the fact that we all crave stillness, disguised by needing a coffee, cigarette, sugar hit or glass of wine. We think they will give us relief, but in actually fact they stimulate us more keeping us away from true stillness.
     I used to look forward to my cappuccino and cake/ biscuit break midmorning and after work- a reward, comfort and definitely stimulating kick to keep me going.
     I found I was getting heart palpitations from the caffeine and suffered from hypoglycaemia and was always in nervous energy from the sugar.
     I have now given up caffeine but have substituted this need to be still with a herbal cuppa and nuts and/or fruit. It is still a work in progress giving up sugar completely.
     But I am definitely more present and healthier than I used to be.

332. Hi Sue, ‘I realised that what people often miss when they give up these things is the time to simply relax and just ‘be’, because our bodies really crave moments of stillness.’ that line makes absolute sense as does the blog. When people give up things like smoking they don’t know that they had used it in place of the stillness and do not have the tools to connect to the stillness. Yet it is simply there inside waiting for us to connect to.

333. So true Sue, reading your blog took me back to my smoking days and how I would escape for some me time. I remember this being one of the excuses for not wanting to quit. It’s a great illusion we get trapped in. Not only do I have me time I’m completely present with me in those moments.

334. Sue I love the analogy of people needing moments of stillness and the simple suggestions you have made to connect to this stillness. Thankyou

335. Thank you Sue. How lovely that you can bring this connection with the stillness in your clinic. What a gift you are giving your clients, the gift of the re-connection with their inner life.

336. So true Sue. I have often heard patient’s lament over giving up their cigarettes…”It’s been like loosing my best friend”- those moments we give to ourselves. It’s a crazy thought though when you think about it. How can this really be our best friend when we consider the harm that it does to our body and the fact that it keep us away from feeling who we actually are.

337. Sue, your blog points out the simplicity of how easy it is to pause and take a moment to be still, without the need for anything outside of ourselves. After all, that stillness is what resides within us, it is just a matter of reconnecting with it.

338. It really can be as simple as creating moments to just sit and breathe gently and feel your body. I felt that clearly as I read your article.

339. I know those delicious moments when I give myself the “time to simply relax and just be” and how healing it is to connect to what my body senses. However, I still find myself reaching for the warming cuppa instead of admitting it’s the self nurturing and stillness I’m wanting.

340. It is so true – we all do crave moments of stillness and as you Sue we can have them without doing something damaging to our bodies.

341. I have often had ex-smokers, especially women tell me that the reason they loved smoking was because it was the only time they actually stopped and took time out for themselves. Something that clearly was not healthy had become a highlight and a moment of ‘stillness’ for them. After many years of trying it out for myself, I am still surprised how the slightest move towards creating a moment or some space for myself has such an instant, beneficial response in my body.

342. How simple and how beautiful Sue. Reading this I got to feel the stillness that is in me and you. It comes across strongly in your words.

343. Brilliant Sue. Our bodies really do crave moments of stillness to just be. It always feels so awesome when we allow ourselves to let go and be with ourselves, so simple, supportive and loving.

344. Thank you Sue. Even though I did not smoke or drink to calm myself when my children were young, I know that the stressful times were relieved if I could just find a few minutes for myself. I would love to have known about the Gentle Breath Meditation that Serge Benhayon teaches, so congratulations for sharing this technique with your Clients – what a difference it would make.

345. Absolutely brilliant Sue! There is a choice in every moment to re-connect simply by stopping, breathing gently and feeling. This is simple and very powerful support for our day to day lives. I also loved your example of sitting by the river on your way home to give yourself a moment to stop and be.

346. When I used to have a cigarette or coffee it came from needing a reward for what I had done. This over the years changed to nuts and a cuppa herbal tea and now when I deeply appreciate and confirm the quality of a day I have lived I do not need a reward and I can simply sit and be with myself .

     1. How simply beautiful.

347. It is quite a revelation to feel that we are actually craving the connection to our own innate stillness when we go for harmful substances like alcohol, coffee and sugar. I stopped doing alcohol and coffee years ago and feel far better for it but I still crave sugar quite a lot even if it’s just a sweet fruit. I often find myself not feeling great afterwards.

     The insight presented here feels very powerful as I can see that choosing sugar results in me feeling less connected to the stillness I am craving and keeps me feeling like I need more. It is clear this is just a trick though, as the sugar cannot deliver the stillness I truly want. Thank you for sharing here Sue.

348. Lovely, simple endorsement of the gentle breath meditation, its benefits and its ease of practice.

349. Wow Sue. I hadn’t considered that a glass of wine, a cigarette or a cup of coffee could be related to craving a moment of stillness. With your blog I realise that this makes sense, those moments where we can take ourselves away from ‘the harsh old world’ a make time for ourselves. Awesome.

350. Thank you Sue for a lovely article, how simple it is to just be.

351. Although I never drank or smoked I still craved that stillness that was missing. Thanks for the timely reminder.

352. If there is no stillness we are completely out of balance. Too much motion is exhausting. We then go for stimulants like sugar and coffee to keep us going. Then at the end of the day we have to try and stop and come down. Connecting to stillness helps to break this pattern of using substances to speed ourselves up, then to slow us back down.

353. What a beautifully simple article Sue, full of wisdom, common sense and practical suggestions for people who are seeking something that is missing in their lives. Stop, breathe and feel; what a wonderful gift you are offering your clients.

     1. Yes I agree Ingrid, so simple and so beautiful. What a gift you are giving people Sue. amazing.

354. I love the simplicity of this article Sue. We often forget the impact our own presence and stillness can have on those around us, and it’s beautiful to share simple techniques such as the gentle breath meditation.

355. This is awesome: to stop and feel and to enjoy the stillness.. It is a good reminder for the daily routine and doing this also with family, groups, clients ..

356. I notice that if I am racy and rushing my children to do something, they react, doing the opposite, but when I am with me there is a stillness and laughter. This is a great reminder of how I am with my kids, as recently I am choosing to commit and connect with them more deeply. Thank you for sharing this simple and beautiful blog.

     1. The opposite is also true Caroline. If I am present, centered and speaking gently with an agitated group of people, the effect on them is very calming.

357. Such a gentle reminder of how I lived my life many years ago. A glass of wine was always welcomed at the end of the day. Now, there is no need for this, as I can connect with myself easily and feel stillness within. Breathing gently is a great connector for people, no need for stimulants or distractions, just coming back to ourselves. It is great you speak with clients in a simple way, making it easy for them to feel the difference in just a few moments. Something they can do each day.

358. Yes Sue- I can really relate to using “something” to feel good at the end of the day-in my case I used to really enjoy a glass of wine. Now I come home and I have no need of this at all. Often because of I have not drained myself during the day I am able to just be with me and on other days if I am in “overwhelm” I can do a gentle breath meditation- a perfect way to complete the day.

359. It’s so true that we can have still moment any time. It’s interesting watching the behaviour of people who used to drink a lot of beer or wine, when they begin drinking less. When faced with a social situation, at a barbecue or even when sitting on their veranda and having a moment to just chill-out – often they feel they cannot without a drink of some description in their hand (like a soft drink instead of a can of beer, or a sparkling water instead of wine). Who said that they, and that goes for all of us, that we can’t just stand anywhere for a few minutes, to be with ourselves. We don’t need to do it just when everyone else is and we certainly don’t need a safety blanket (or a drink in our hand) to do so either.

360. Yes thank you Sue for so simply and gently offering how to reconnect with our own essence of stillness. It seems so simple and easy, almost too good to be true. It seems crazy that as human beings we use poisonous substances or complicated meditation practices to try to achieve what is inherently a natural way of being.

361. Thank you Sue for your beauty-full expression – I really enjoyed reading it, and the reminder it gave me of how simple it is really to find that stillness moment, if we would but choose it. It’s interesting I find, that we as a society seem to have had the belief that we must always be ‘doing’ something – even in past times trying to find that peaceful moment, we were racing to the shops for the supply of and taking a cigarette, driving through traffic to the drive-through so you can have that glass of wine etc., but when you think about it that belief also had us still ‘doing’ – and now with a little more wisdom and reflection it is quite an eye-opener so to speak that we do not actually have to be ‘doing’ anything to find that stillness we so crave – just a choice to breathe gently and return to that deep and quiet place within us all whenever and wherever we are.

362. Those first paragraphs described beautifully how I used to live. Ahhhh. Thank you for the gentle reminder that taking these moments to reconnect to ourselves is so vital that it enables us to reconnect with others more deeply.

363. Thank you Sue, what you are sharing is so simple. It’s crazy that so much of what is presented to us in life is doing everything to distract us from reconnecting to ourselves, from having these precious moments of stillness. I’m so thankful for the teachings of Universal Medicine that have enabled me to see, there is another way to live.

364. I remember how I used to reach for a glass of beer to take the edge of the day, I considered it relaxing but even one glass would leave me stimulated and more racy in my body, and restlessness and sleeplessness would follow. I now much prefer to find that stillness you describe Sue, I can feel how much better for my body it is to naturally stop, I am sure it was that state I was searching for when I used to drink, and I now know I will never find it through something I consume.

365. I heard this today, how having cigarettes calms one done, but it is totally crazy lie smokers tell themselves, it is a stimulant to the nervous system. It is as Sue describes a moment to stop that allows people to relax – and of course feeding the addiction that helps ease the tension of the momentary withdrawal of nicotine.

     1. Well said Zoe. Consumption of such substances also seeks to ease the tension that is created in our bodies when we choose to momentarily (or in some cases, extendedly) withdraw from expressing the love and the truth that we each are. It is the ‘intelligence’ of the mind that runs the show when the wisdom of our bodies is overridden…not-very-intelligent-at-all.

366. It is so true Sue, connecting to the stillness within us is very simple and easy, we just have to make the choice, and how true it is that our kids reflect our state of being.

367. Sue you write so simply but with great wisdom. I totally relate to coming home to a drink of alcohol or coffee just to have a moment with me – it is so true that these substances do not deliver the stillness that we are truly seeking whereas taking a moment to simply and quietly be with ourselves does.

368. Sue, I definitely used to crave moments of stillness, gentleness and connectedness. I could find them far and few between, when at the beach or having a cuppa on the day bed at sunset. Now I don’t really like to settle for anything less. I like these states as my norm even when I am doing things .. not that I can always manage it. But at least now, through my studies with Universal Medicine, I know how to choose and access moments of stillness, gentleness and connectedness more consciously and more often.

369. Sue this is so great, and so simple and I love your counsel here with your clients: …”I chat with my clients about how easy it is to create moments of stillness that don’t have to be harmful to the body”. This says it all as we can all too often substitute one harm for a perceived lesser harm, though it can still be adversely affecting the body like giving up smoking, to having more cups of coffee, sugary foods/cake, or even taking up intense exercise. Stillness of the body requires no doing but more being, and this costs us nil but produces such great yields in regards harmony.

     1. Zofia, as I read this comment, I also realized that as well as substances (ie drugs, alcohol, sugar, cigarettes, coffee) that we can use as a distraction from connecting to our own bodies and the stillness that is naturally within, we can also use dramas and emotions etc. In my experience, this can be as equally harming and with the same result as a physical distraction or relief from any physical substance… Something I can definitely take into my day and be aware of.

        1. Great point Angela, drama and emotions will take us away from stillness every time. It is interesting that while we are calling out for stillness and to really connect with ourselves, often times we will find many different ways to run away from precisely that. Of course coming back to our stillness often means feeling or facing things within ourselves that can be challenging to deal with, but there is no doubt that making that effort and coming back to stillness pays remarkable dividends.

     2. Indeed Zofia, stillness is so simple and doesn’t require any particular skill or outfit or equipment. It only requires one to sit and be – very simple – but great wisdom is simple.

370. Thanks Sue. I used alcohol and cigarettes as my ‘down time’ rewards. I often felt that they gave me a true sense of relaxation from my life that was often intense. I met Serge Benhayon in 2012 and experienced true stillness in my first session. From there (it took a couple of years!) I got to feel that in fact alcohol and cigarettes stimulated me, I felt all speedy inside. I no longer use alcohol or cigarettes as I have my own connection to the stillness that is naturally inside and I take moments to stop and just be with this. From this my day and interactions with others are far more harmonious.

371. ‘We are all craving moments of stillness’. Thank you Sue for sharing a simple everyday approach to having those moments of stillness.

372. Sue after reading the blog I realised that although didn’t smoke or drink I still felt the same unease with food. Craving stillness masks itself in many forms of medication.

373. Awesome sharing Sue – such a simple approach that you have, still absolutely understanding where your clients come from with their experiences as well as their true needs. I love the simplicity of the moments of stillness offered to ourselves through breathing – moments that many of us erroneously seek through the ‘sit down for a drink or a smoke’ but actually do the opposite when using these substances. Thank you Sue for your loving, supportive, understanding and simple approach!

374. How very true Sue – it’s great how you present to clients beautifully that it starts with the simple every day things we can do for ourselves, that can make all the difference and from that much more can shift and change…Thanks for this article…

375. Eloquently and simple expressed the importance of stillness and the ever so simple practice to achieve this.

376. I know when I am in the rush and not present with what I am doing everything seems more difficult. I feel anxious, the children become difficult and I am trying to manage them instead of just being with them and responding to them.

377. ‘Our bodies crave moments of stillness.’ How very true.

378. Yes, agree Sue… We do crave moments of stillness. It is interesting how we feed this crave with food or a glass of wine at the end of the day, to get that ‘ahh’ moment. And yet, these vices are actually bringing a ‘stop’ moment into the momentum of busy-ness. Maybe we actually crave that feeling of reconnection to our body and ourselves? It’s wonderful to discover that you don’t actually need these vices to feel the ‘ahh’ moment of reconnection. It is awesome how you show your clients how simple it is to feel that ‘ahh’ moment with the gentle breath… no vices needed!

379. I have never really thought about when people give up alcohol, cigarettes or even drinking tea and coffee to be as you’ve written…. ‘I realised that what people often miss when they give up these things is the time to simply relax and just ‘be’, because our bodies really crave moments of stillness.’ Very interesting to read because it is so true.
     I have done only one of the above, which is drinking tea, but I used to drink it so fast that the steam was still coming off the cup when I put it down. Such a beautiful blog Sue, I was feeling myself drop and relaxing as I was reading. Thank you.

380. This is great Sue. You have explained one part of the “hook” of those habits so simply – they are a “stop moment”. Yet even in the stop we need to be doing something.
     My “moment” was my morning coffee with a brioche, reading the newspaper…uh huh…not really a stop.
     Great blog Sue and your clients are blessed to have the opportunity to receive great therapies and the feeling of true stillness.

     1. Rachel great call as I know when I feel the need to “stop” or “relax” it’s often as I’ve got caught up in things. Yet how often would I be “Doing” something in my so called stop moments – so really they were time away doing one thing instead of another – when what I truly felt like was a moment of stillness and connection with me.

381. It has only been since coming to Universal Medicine presentations and having sessions with practitioners that I am coming to really understanding what it truly means to be with yourself. It has definitely been a slow and steady development however, when I achieve this state my resulting still, calm, soothing presence is not only beautiful to feel; it is also very powerful for everyone else I come into contact with. I am still realising the extent of just how huge my responsibility is to live this way to the best of my ability. For example, working regularly with clients with trauma backgrounds, I have found that my capacity to be still and to be fully present is essential to really support them in sessions. Thanks Sue, for reminding me to stop regularly and take the time to enjoy the stillness.

382. It is so profoundly simple, Sue. What is it about us that seek at times to complicate our lives by ingesting substances or being ‘busy’, so that the opportunities to practice the simple process of just being with your breath, are so few or far between. Everyone benefits when we do and it is life changing for all around us, especially ourselves.

383. Thanks, Sue, your sharing came to me just in time! Today my body was craving for gluten-free bread and now I get aware that it was actually asking for a moment of stillness.

384. Thanks Sue . To take a moment for yourself through a day is to honour the precious being you are in that moment, in a world that is stuck in ceaseless motion. It only takes a moment and the world falls away and there you are shining bright.

385. Thanks Sue! You’ve reminded me so simply how all it really takes is a few minutes of reconnecting to our breath and body just by literally being present with the simple act of breathing.

386. I like the way that you write about not needing to talk about Serge and Universal Medicine to have your clients achieve stillness for themselves. We need no more than everyday language to explain the most esoteric things. Thank you Sue.

387. The inside of my body feels so beautiful when I am stillness but the moment I start to move away from this I feel completely disturbed and unsettled within me. It wasn’t all that long ago when this was the complete opposite, I was mostly disturbed, unsettled and anxious and this was all I knew. I didn’t even question it because I didn’t know any different. Stillness may have been felt at times but not for long enough to register that there were two completely qualities I could feel in my body. Being able to feel stillness and also when I am stepping away from it has completely changed my life.

388. We have all the resources we need within us all, all of the time. So simple, but easy to forget. Thanks for reminding me Sue.

389. I really love this blog Sue, it is such a great turn around to see these activities as actually our wanting to connect back to stillness. I particularly relate with cigarettes, especially when working in an open plan office my screen break was a ciggie, and without it I didn’t feel I could leave the computer. It is also true that we can create these moments of reconnecting back with a loving will.

390. Lovely to re-visit your blog Sue and be reminded of the very practical and accessible benefits of connecting to stillness in our daily lives.

391. Great blog Sue, a reminder that ways to stillness are very simple and never harming.

392. Great practical examples of reaching stillness, far more beneficial and cheaper than alcohol and smokes

393. Wow it is so important to take moments and stop and feel what is truly going on with us.These moments are gold and can from then determine how your day goes. Taking time to stop and feel is something I am constantly working on, and the more I do, the more my life benefits. Thank you Sue for this great reminder.

     1. Samantha same here, it makes such a difference to each part of the day and certainly helps avoid arriving home in a frazzle. Instead I can enjoy the evening. A lovely blog to be reminded by.

        1. It is something I am constantly working on too Samantha, and having the unimedliving.com site, with all the free meditations, is an awesome support!

394. A great reminder that we all crave these moments of repose and that we don’t need to do it via cigarettes, caffeine or alcohol which end up taking us further away from ourselves and push the body into overdrive.

395. Well exposed, Sue. The Livingness offers us the opportunity to live our lives in a state of stillness – not literally, of course – but in the quality of an inner stillness within us. When we live in this way, there is no more craving after that ‘moment’ of stillness in our day (seemingly found in a cigarette, beer or glass of wine), because we don’t ever need to leave that stillness in the first place.

396. As you say here Sue, so many people (I was one of them) use alcohol and cigarettes as their “break time” or to find relief from the so-called daily grind. What a beautiful gift you are offering your clients by just reminding them that these moments can be created just with themselves – in total simplicity – with no prop required. It’s the simple things that changes lives.

397. Facilitating a local ‘chair based’ exercise class I ventured to start a session with the Gentle Breath meditation and a few moments of stillness. I felt the energy settle in the room as we re connected to ourselves………..
     The following week all in the group ‘hoped’ we could include these moments every at every session.
     One participant this week said quietly as we began, “this is why I have come here today “. Simply beautiful.

398. Thank you Sue, it really is that simple, we are all looking for moments of stillness and time to just be. And how much more simple could it be than to find those moments in closing our eyes, feeling the touch of our hands on our thighs or feeling the soles of our feet on the floor – and breathing very gently.

399. “I realised that what people often miss when they give up these things is the time to simply relax and just ‘be’, because our bodies really crave moments of stillness.” This is so true. We think it is the drink or the ciggy break that allows us a moment to stop and so think we cannot have a ‘time out’ moment without them as an excuse. Taking a few moments to stop and just be with me allows me to feel the beauty of stillness.

400. After re-reading this blog Sue, I can feel more honestly how much my body craves those moments of stillness without needing to do anything for anyone, and how I used to use other substances to attempt to get to that stillness without success. I can also see how I have used other distractions and mental pursuits/interests to bring a feeling of relaxation to my day, but it was always laced with a lot of buzzy nervous energy based on not just allowing myself to be still without stimulation, and so it never relaxed me anyway. It’s always the simple things that work the best, and that’s why the Gentle Breath meditation works so well for me as well.

401. Thank you Sue. Such simple steps to take to have those moments of stillness. It is such a lovely feeling to come back to stillness when I have allowed the rush and busy-ness of the day to take me over, I can then take the gentleness and presence to others.

402. I agree Sue that we are all craving and missing those moments of stillness. At this time of year I have realised that part of the attraction of Christmas is that it is a time when everyone stops and gets off the ‘treadmill of life’ for a couple of days. It is almost like we all need an excuse to be allowed to stop and Christmas provides that as everybody has agreed to not work during this time. However just like having a cigarette or glass of wine we confuse this need to stop and connect with excess and indulgence and escape which actually takes us further away from connection with ourselves. This is a pattern at Christmas where people normally eat and drink to excess things that are clearly not good for the body and for the health. You could say Christmas is like one big cigarette!

403. A brilliant blog of great clarity. Reading of ‘stillness’ felt divine and I appreciated how I am find moments of stillness in my life and it feel very supportive. The title is awesome I connected with it deeply and understood that this was what I sought in both these substances “Alcohol & Cigarettes: the body’s cry for moments of stillness.”

404. Spending most of my life rushing around doing one thing after another, I had no idea what stillness was. Sleeping or watching television was the closest I came to it but all that was was a slower version of my rushing around. I slept because my body was exhausted and not from a stillness, and watching TV was to escape from the day I had had. The more I listen to my body the more I know what stillness is and how much more enjoyable this way of being is.

405. Sue there are some lovely tips here for moments of stillness, I love the one about how being calm and present with children can bring them to gentleness and calmness. Sounds like a win win situation to me!

406. I remember my cigarette and tea combo was so that I could have a moment. It was a relief. By learning the gentle breath meditation, I started to feel the stillness that I had always craved. Steadily I have been building this stillness so that it is with me most of the time, without aspiring to perfection. All the crutches I used had to go and I made the choice to take responsibility for my way of life so that when I felt the need to be stimulated by those things, I could look at what’s going on in my life first.

407. Thank you for bringing such a great awareness to moments of stillness that we search for but do not know or have not known how to find. I also did the same thing looking back would want to stop and reconnect with me but instead of this would have a cup of tea, glass of wine or cigarette, which actually does the complete opposite and as you say “make us racy, running faster inside than our natural rhythm”.
     Much is shared here and what I felt when reading was that how I did not want to feel my body, what was going on or be honest with myself. This went on for years and nothing was gained I just became more of a mess. Since meeting Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine I have been able to be honest with myself, feel things I ignored or didn’t want to feel (old hurts, patterns, ideals and beliefs) and make changes to come back to the love and stillness I naturally am.

     Reading your article also makes me really aware how many of us do this, use substances to create a stop that is not true and honouring the stop we really want to take and feel within our bodies.

408. “Creating moments of stillness”, something I now do for myself, especially when I catch myself getting caught up in raciness and rushing. This then has a huge impact on how I move forward with my next task and the energy it is carried out in.

409. I can relate to what you said about the cigarette and alcohol thing, the relief, as I used to smoke and drink. But these days I go for a walk in nature or just sit by a lake to unwind after work.

     1. That sounds absolutely gorgeous Natalie, and makes so much sense that a walk in nature or sitting by a lake will support you much more than cigarettes and alcohol. When I’m stressed at work, then I go for a walk in the park, in fact, I make it part of my lunch time routine to support me, stressed or not, it still feels great.

410. I love the way that you have managed to see the body’s cry for stillness in those moments of having a drink at the end of the day or a quiet puff of the cigarette. How wonderful that your clients are getting to feel the ease with which they can have that without resorting to these activities and harming their body.

     1. Well expressed Golnaz, Very insightful blog.

411. “I realised that what people often miss when they give up these things is the time to simply relax and just ‘be’, because our bodies really crave moments of stillness.” Just stopping and breathing gently makes such a difference to my day – it only takes a few moments. Why aren’t we taught this at an early age?

412. I too have learnt the outcome of just sitting and breathing, and taking a moment to just be with myself, even if it’s just one minute. It just proves that you don’t need to spend any money to feel calm and with yourself, and to think you do is just an excuse.

413. Before I was introduced to stillness I was always pushing myself to get through the day and override any signals from my body which were clearly telling me to stop. Now that I know the difference the signals in my body have become louder and louder, which thankfully makes it harder to ignore.

     1. Yes, I love how my body tells me very loudly when I have been treating it with harshness. It knows I’ll not be inclined to listen else – working on that though!

414. Sue, I too felt the stillness in the simplicity of what you have written and I could really relate to that moment of stillness I was searching for when I had a glass of wine or cigarette at the end of the day. It feels awesome now to have the tools to connect to my stillness naturally in a way that is healing rather than harming.

415. I definitely notice that if I’m stressed and cranky, then everything is harder. I find work more difficult, relationships with people around me more tense, and I rush, which doesn’t make things happen more efficiently. As soon as I realise what is going on, I will do something very simple like go and make my self a cup of herbal tea, go for a little walk, even if it’s around the office, it doesn’t need to be far, or at home I may lay down and just breath gently before continuing with the next task. Any thing that brings presence back to my body, and allows me to lighten up and let go. It’s all very simple, but makes a huge difference to how I feel at the end of the day.

     1. Looking back years I can see that I too used cigarettes, books, tv etc as an excuse to take time for me. Now I don’t need an excuse, when I realise what is going on I take time out, look at what may have triggered it, and have a break- for me.

416. Thank you Sue for this lovely blog. I love how you demonstrate the simplicity and practicality of connecting to our stillness and it’s deeply healing effect. This can be accessed in workplaces, schools, colleges. It removes the mystique and demonstrates how it is a normal ritual.

417. Before Universal Medicine came along for me I can honestly say I didn’t know what stillness was. The closest I ever got was with a ciggie and bevvy in hand, which is so far from stillness its hardly in the same universe. I can now reach a level of stillness that I never thought was possible, which is superb medicine for me.

     1. I agree Kev, before Universal Medicine came along stillness for me was sitting in front of the TV with a bottle or two of wine. I had no idea what it meant to truly be ‘still’. With the gentle breath meditation I have been able to find that stillness and if I choose to, it will always let me know how my body is truly feeling.

        1. Crazy isn’t it Tim, that our moments of ‘stillness’ involved passive ‘doing’. So we weren’t being truly still at all, just escaping.

     2. Same here, I didn’t know what stillness was. Crazy because this is a natural and very beautifull essence within us all. In fact I did everything in life not to feel this! I deeply appreciate Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine for the teachings they have brought to all.

     3. Befor Universal Medicine I would consider stillness to be sitting still without moving or being asleep. Not realizing how I never was still, but always ‘moving’ and doing inside. Now I am aware, brain activity is also activity for the body. No wonder my body was always so tired. The gentle breath meditation has made me stop and connect to stillness inside me and this keeps deepening and deepening

418. ” These moments are our search for stillness” I love these lines and felt that they were very insightful with a deep understanding of what is going on for people.

419. This is a really important blog that you have shared Sue. How as a society we are caught up in go, go, go, go and as you say when we have a ‘still’ moment it is created by an excuse to indulge. This is what it has in the past been like for me big time and now that I have introduced the gentle breath technique presented by Serge Benhayon I know now what true stillness is. Even if I have been living in such a way that has been nervous energy when I sit to connect to my stillness I’m too racey to drop into my stillness.

420. “our bodies really crave moments of stillness.” This statement is so true but it is interesting that I always saw this as wasting time or self-indulgent – no surprise that I was always exhausted, always busy doing, doing. Giving myself moments of stillness allows me to appreciate who I am and that in stillness I am a joy to be with.

     1. ‘our bodies really crave moments of stillness’
        So true! And yet we do so much to avoid that. Working hard, being always busy was the biggest one for me accompanied with thinking ahead (or in the past) and not being present in my body by not feeling how my body is feeling when I do something. Taking stop moments, breathing gently and being fully present with what I do at that moment has supported me immensely to connect to the stillness inside me. It is still work in progress, for it can deepen everytime, but I love feeling the stillness inside me and working is completely different when I am in sync with myself.

     2. Absolutely Mary, I was the same. Yes, allowing myself moments of stillness is gorgeous.

421. Thank you Sue for writing this I had not really taken on board before that smoking a cigarette was a stop moment, this makes so much sense when I see the people at work having a cigarette outside in all weathers. I noticed how many would sit quietly on their own and seemed to be contemplating their day. It gives a better understanding to why people crave cigarettes, it is not so much the cigarette, but a moment to stop.

422. I remember those days when I loved that ‘Still’ time especially after a days work and busy night in the restaurant. Having the first glass of wine and cigarette was like the best thing ever. But as I slowly start to look at each one, both at different times, I new that they weren’t doing my health any favours. But the main thing shift in me was with the support of Universal Medicine when I started to make self loving choices. I looked at my life and introduce loving choices. Cigarettes and Alcohol came to a stop and when I finished my busy days and/or nights at work I sat down with everyone and enjoyed the ‘Still’ moment without needing anything to ‘unwind me’. Such a freeing moment and have never looked back.

423. I have noticed a direct correlation between my emotional state and my daughter’s, as well as how much more calm, content and loving she is when I really connect and listen to her, or play with her without getting distracted by other work or things I “need to do”. It feels that by honoring her fully she can be more herself and there is a greater harmony to the day and our interactions, rather than a dictating of what I feel she should do which does not come from an equal ness between us. It is too easy to get caught up in our daily chores and not take time to connect with our kids, but when I do, I learn a lot from her natural way of presence and joyful ness too.

424. Sue I loved reading this. Such a beautiful, delicate reminder to come back to stillness in my day if I go off. I see how people, myself included, often look for stillness in things that may bring a tiny tiny fleeting glimpse of it to only take them further away from it by the nature of what they consume. I see, and have done this many times, chased the promise of stillness, that fleeting glimpse, by doing whatever it was more, so more drink, smoke more, eat more.

     In writing this I am feeling that it’s not the vice one really craves but stillness. The vices harm ones body and can lead to unsociable ways of being but there is no shame wanting to return to stillness. To realise our natural impulse is to return to stillness and that one of the reasons we choose to consume or do whatever it is that we believe it will give us this, no matter how fleeting, is awesome because it helps break these illusionary allures.

     What an insightful and helpful blog. thank you.

425. This article showed me how I always needed an excuse to stop and have a little time for myself, a glass of wine or, in the days before I had children, a cigarette. I was well aware that smoking cigarettes was harmful and stopped smoking before becoming pregnant with our first child, interesting that I could easily make this decision for my child but not for me. I had never stopped to consider that alcohol was equally harmful to me although I chose not to drink while pregnant or breast feeding, again harmful for a developing baby but convinced it did not do me any harm.
     Learning that I do not always have to be ‘doing’ something and do not need any excuse to take time to enjoy my own company in moments of stillness is making me a much more enjoyable person to be with – for myself and everyone around me.

426. Stillness is a word that people don’t really understand, but are constantly seeking. You are so right, Sue – in that when we ‘unwind’ with alcohol or a cigarette – that it’s possible what we ‘love’ about it is the moment to stop.
     I know I moved from using alcohol as a way to get drunk and dance all night – to a Sunday evening wind down. And I totally bought into it working!
     But as I explore more and more what stillness actually means to me – it is everything but the stimulation – and me just stopping for myself. And I can feel how much more supportive that feels than a hangover.

427. Really lovely Sue! You are quite right – looking back on my smoking days, I totally was still and present as I inhaled and exhaled… It always seems to be that the “thing” you do to achieve the state you want, takes you further from it. Rather like the futile experience of swimming towards a feather on the waters surface: the harder and faster you swim, the more you push the feather out of reach… The lesson is to just be, with yourself, in stillness – no props required!

428. I find it interesting that we all crave moments of stillness, but at the same time we don’t want to feel what’s really going on in our lives, so instead we reach for relief through harmfull substances. thanks Sue.

429. thanks Sue for a really easy, practical and tangible blog. It really is that simple to make that choice to stop, take a moment to be with yourself and to feel you inside your body then to get on with your day with that connection. Things come along and take you out due to old patterns and behaviours that are deeply ingrained that feel so familiar that they are the only way to deal with what ever comes your way – but there is no need for any drama there is just a simple choice to stop, re-connect to ourselves and give it another go. It has been truly life changing for me to make that an important part of my day and I am building that as a constant place where I come from with a connection that feels so true and learning all the while when it is not true – this has major impact it on my body and being when I am not connected to my soul.

430. Creating time to be is something I am realising I need to do more consistently, throughout the day as Rosanna has just shared. It feels super important and supportive.

431. Thank you Sue for the lovely moment spent reading this blog, I was right there with you sitting by the river. I know that when I keep bringing in those moments with myself through the day, it really helps the way I feel by the evening.

432. I love what you share here ‘I chat with my clients about how easy it is to create moments of stillness that don’t have to be harmful to the body’ A natural and common sense concept but one we don’t hear of growing up. Imagine if this was shared and encouraged from an early age? Thank you, Sue.

433. Thanks Sue, I remember the cigarettes and alcohol at the end of the day to wind down only too well and now how the gentle breath exercise is so simple and all we need without the harmful effects.

434. Thank you Sue I love how you share the importance of moments of stillness with oneself so simply and what a difference this makes with no need for harmful substances ever needed.
     Amazing to reconnect to myself giving me the space I need and I find being in nature by the sea or just on my own to really feel me is so beautiful, practical and works. I can stop and appreciate everything, everyone and myself with understanding lovingly.

435. Sue, gorgeous blog, I reconnected to my stillness reading it. I love your simple practical suggestions and most of all can feel the understanding you bring to clients and those of us reading this blog. People are looking for stillness and use cigarettes etc. to do this, no they don’t help but it’s great to feel how being met with that understanding can allow another to truly look at what is going on and I can feel this non-judgement and invitation in how you write and from this how you live. Thank you, it’s really helpful today in seeing some things I’ve been doing and reminding me to bring understanding to them.

436. Hi Sue, Love this blog – great observations and practical approach to something that is there inside of us waiting for us to re-connect – the beauty of stillness! How beautiful to be reminded of how simple it is to just stop for a moment and come back to ourselves,

437. Re-reading the blog I loved when you wrote “At other times I would stop on my way home from work and just sit by the river to relax before going home to the family” I have noticed for myself that after a particularly heavy day at work, it is better to take a pause on my own to reconnect, as although I may be later to arrive home, the family will get all of me and not any of the after effects from the day.

     1. That is an awesome idea Simon, I love it. A time to relax and appreciate. I for one know the impact of meeting people and expressing from that place of inner stillness, it’s amazing

     2. thanks for this Simon. Though I live alone, or as I prefer to express it, with myself, often I too stop before I go into the house, or in fact get into my car, to find stillness. To quote your words I then have a chance to ‘get all of me and not any of the after effects from the day’.

     3. That’s very true Simon, if I have had a particularly heavy or reactive day I will make sure I have a 5-10 minute meditation to clear and just be with myself before I go to bed as I don’t want to carry that momentum into the next morning. I have noticed if I don’t do the meditation my sleep is affected and I feel more tired when I wake up.

438. I have come back to reading this blog and love how you present very simply that when we take the time to connect with this stillness, at any time, it makes a difference in our relationships and interaction with others. Beautiful.

439. Thank you Sue for the reminder stillness is there, in your words ‘any time we choose’….and so the reverse must be true, that the hectic times are by choice too. ouch!

     1. Great reminder Kathie, there have to be TWO things to exist to make a choice! That’s so simple. I can feel how if I am avoiding choosing the stillness by helping myself to more food, and actually stop to feel the quality of what I am doing, (comfort eating), it stares me right in the face and I can see it for what it is. Then I can feel the stillness and the “other” and make my choice.

440. I came back to read this blog and I am love how simple it is. Connect to stillness and then take that into the next moment of your day. Beautiful. I can also see how I have used foods such as caffeine and sugar when I craved stillness and how far away they take me from that feeling.

441. When I used to smoke I would love that feeling of stopping and having a pause in what was a very busy hectic schedule. I can now take the same break for myself but without the cigarette thanks to practicing the Gentle Breath Meditation taught by Serge Benhayon.

442. You could just give your clients this blog to read! It is an embodiment of stillness. And it’s simplicity is an inspiration to me. Thank you for a powerful reminder of the power of stillness.

443. This article is a great reminder Sue to allow ourselves moments of stillness during the day to just be with ourselves.

444. Thank you Sue, soo beautifully and simply expressed – how profound and simple a moment of stillness is and can be.

445. This is magical Sue, I also felt a moment of stillness as soon as I started reading this. What you present here is so profound yet so simple and accessible for all.

446. Dear Sue, thank you for this beautiful piece – you are so right, we all want a bit of time and space to be still and re-connect. And as your clients have discovered, we do not even need very long to do so, if we just spend a moment with ourselves without any distraction or stimulus.

447. This is such a great article Sue, thank you, very simple and practical. This is a great reminder for me of the power and simplicity of breathing gently and feeling my body, ‘I chat with my clients about how easy it is to create moments of stillness that don’t have to be harmful to the body. By creating a space for ourselves of only a few minutes to sit, close our eyes, breathe very gently and feel our body, feet and eyes relaxing and our hands resting on our thighs, we can feel an absolute presence with ourselves. And then, by gently opening our eyes, we can hold that feeling of gentleness and presence and continue to be with ourselves.’

448. Having just re-read this blog it gave me such a moment of stillness that which you are presenting with your clients, and living is very evident to be felt in your words.

     1. I agree Judy, this is also my second time reading this post and there is a sense of stillness which is felt when reading the words. This post is a great reminder of how easy it is to stop and be still. Thank you Sue, for the second time.

449. Thank you Sue for a lovely article. I can feel the stillness and moment of stop within myself as I read through and I love the practical example of being able to maintain this feeling of calm with others so long as the choice to stay connected to myself and another is made. Beautiful and life changing!

450. I remember that feeling so well – wanting a cigarette break so that I could create some time and space… I see the same with people at work that smoke taking regular little ‘pauses’ in their day but strangely poisoning themselves at the same time. My thought for the day is to imagine what a revolution it would be if instead of the smoke break, a number of 5 minute pauses were introduced into the work day.

     1. I like your idea of having 5 minute pauses during the working day Simon.

     2. What a great habit that would be to build on, not only in a work day.

451. A beautiful article and an inspiration to choose moments of stillness with me every day.

452. Dear Sue Kira
     Thank you for this reminder about stillness and that we can choose it anytime.
     When you talked about the glass of wine, it took me back to how I lived and that wine or a cold fizzy drink gave me the relief. What I had no idea about was it made me even more racy because of the sugar content.
     I had lost the plot in every area of my life until I came across Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine. Stillness was not for me but those who had boring lives and nothing to do. I was not ever going to be one of them.
     I remember in 2008 asking Serge Benhayon did I get a tumour because what is needed is for me to develop stillness. His response was “Yes”.
     Today, I can honestly say I go out of my way to create moments of stop during my day, Everyday to drop into my body where that stillness lives. The rewards have been beyond words and I know there is so much more.
     I cannot imagine life without those stop moments.

453. Awesome blog Sue. A timely reminder that how just sitting and being with yourself fully can have such a profound effect. Thank you for sharing.

454. Love this Sue. How amazing would it be if people took the time to actually connect to their body and have a moment to themselves to rest, instead of building up stress during the day and needing that cigarette or glass of wine for that ‘ah’ feeling as you described.

455. Thank you Sue, I love this blog and the feeling of stillness that is there when I read it.

456. Just re-reading this blog gives me a gorgeous feeling of stillness. I have my grandchildren staying at the moment, aged 3 & 1 yr old, and can really notice when they are irritable and tired, I usually am too. I am working on being present and connected with them because they are so gorgeous, it’s a great reflection.

457. Love how you describe stopping on the way home from work to take time for yourself to reconnect and be still, thereby taking your stillness back to your family. A truly self-caring move that then benefits all.

     1. Yes I agree Cathy that’s a great point, seeing how true self-care benefits all.

458. Thank you Sue, I love the feeling of creating space in my body and in a instant can be still and feel my presence. It’s very powerful.

459. Yes Sue, this is a poignant reminder that we CAN re-connect any time we choose, with the grace of just stopping and being still.

460. This is a joy to read and a reminder of the importance for moments of stillness to check-in and take stock.

461. Thank you, this is such a beautiful confirmation of the fact that we are so all equally within the body of God.

462. I too love how the quality of my life and interactions with people have changed for the better since I incorporated breathing gently as part of my everyday life, Sue. I have found there are so many opportunities in a day to stop and check in with how I am breathing when I started considering this – at the red traffic light when I am driving, in the queue waiting to be served, in the rest room or when washing and drying my hands, preparing food… the list is only limited by my choice to stop and consider where I’m actually at with myself and my breath.

463. Thank you Sue for linking behavioural patterns with our bodies ‘craving for stillness’. These simple techniques that can quickly bring us back to stillness are indeed quite profound.

464. The beautiful simplicity that the truth brings.

465. It is lovely to remember that we don´t need any substance to feel calm and to connect with ourselves, the yumminess is within! For me it is also great to read your blog because it confirms how far I have come, and still feels good to appreciate that I NOW do not use anything from the outside, no drugs, no alcohol, no nicotine, no chocolate, no caffeine to give me any little bit of added pleasure, but the one of being with me. Those moments of stillness extended into our days is very good medicine for everybody in our world. Thanks Sue.

     1. I can totally agree with you Julia. I can add a few more item to your list but as you have said it is not needing anything from outside ourselves…because we have always been enough.

        1. I agree Julia. No pleasure is greater than being with your body and follow what it says to you, how it feels. Although I never drank or smoked I had sugar and chocolate for “treats” and that was showing that there was an emptyness somewhere ! We are enough as we are and this is lovely to feel.

466. Sue this is beautiful. I also felt a moment of stillness as I read it. It is that simple beauty of being truly with oneself – no need for self medication. It’s with us all the time and at no cost.

467. Thank you Sue for your beautiful blog. I can feel the stillness and the simplicity in what you are saying. Even just that moment of consciously stepping back from the momentum of an activity or thought brings such a depth of connection, and, as you have said, it is so easy. The ‘hard’ thing for me (more in the past now) has been my willingness to actually let go of the certain kind of false pleasure the momentum can bring me. But it has nothing, yes nothing, to compare with the loveliness of stillness that arises as a result of choosing to bring in the breath and presence.

468. Thank you Sue, what you have written is so lovely and true that I had a moment of stillness reading it.

     1. Absolutely Nicola, it was a pause for me too. Thank you Sue for the simplicity and delicateness of your words.

        1. I agree there is a moment here of simplicity just being. Thank you.

        2. I also felt the simplicity and delicacy of your words Sue, written in the energy you were talking about, and it brought me back to my stillness. It shows me how powerful it is over all other things such as alcohol and cigarettes, and the effects are beneficial and enjoyable rather than damaging and uncomfortable! And we can choose it for ourselves any moment of every day.

469. Hi Sue, thank you for this lovely blog, which resonated deeply with me. I remember the first time I had a drink, experiencing a feeling of relief, of release, of rest. I called it “being at one with the universe”, but in truth it was me feeling the relief of momentarily not feeling what I was feeling! I spent many years chasing that feeling- I never found it again, but it took me a while to stop looking in a bottle! I also remember choosing to smoke long after I had stopped enjoying the feeling, because it gave me an excuse to go outside and be alone, with myself, for a moment. It has been so lovely to learn the gentle breath meditation and to be able to have a moment with myself, whenever I choose, without the need for medication. I no longer need to escape from myself, from my life, because I love who I am and how I live now.

     1. Thank you Anne for your love felt reply. Even when I used to have the lovely time by the water to just be with me before going home to the family after a big day at work, I was, like you said “escaping from myself, from my life”, but now I don’t need ‘medication’ as I love being with ME. Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine has given me and many many others the opportunity to feel this inner joy with the simplicity of the ‘Gentle Breath Meditation’.

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