PART 1: Practice Stillness

 “You are never more essentially yourself than when you are still.” – Eckhart Tolle

In order to fully and effectively connect with and relate to other people, we must first make an internal shift to connect with ourselves. Slow down and notice what is going on inside of you. The challenge is to shift out of our old patterns of always doing and being busy, and instead give ourselves permission to be present in this moment. Try asking yourself, “Will this matter a year from now?”

Practicing physical stillness will reveal that which was already there inside of us and remind us of our True Self; Stillness is the Ultimate Refuge. Stillness brings inner Silence (call it calm or peace), from which we can then find silence out in the cacophony of the world.* 

Recently, after receiving some deep bodywork, an early childhood memory revealed itself to me in vivid detail – what seems to be my first foray into self-inquiry and meditation. I was probably 8 years old, sitting on the edge of my bed on a summer day in Cleveland, the blinds drawn, the balcony door open, and my eyes softly gazing ahead while I asked myself over and over, “Who Am I, What is My Purpose in This World?” The physical room would fall away, my vision would spiral down into a star-filled, night sky, and nothing else mattered, time didn’t exist.  

This LED Eye wall sculpture is a reminder to stop, slow down and gaze inward. Take a few minutes watching the lights swirl in the iris, see yourself in the reflection, feel what is going on with you right now in this moment. If you have something going on in your life that needs an answer, ask the question of your inner, wiser self and see what answers arise.

emiko oye © 2019

Practice Stillness
from the 2 Be Seen series
LED Light Sculpture, 2019
Repurposed, recycled and chromed LEGO®, Argentium silver, Plexiglass, polycarbonate, stainless steel, AdaFruit Metro Mini 328, 5V 4A switching power supply, Adafruit Neopixel Digital RGBW LED strips, silicone. Mounted on wall cleat.
Dimensions in inches: 25.5 W x 12.375 H x 4.5 D

*paraphrased from Judith Hanson Lasater, Office Hours, Episode 39