The Story Behind Stillness Therapy

Stillness is the Move

For this month’s blog I wanted to share the inspiration behind my practice’s name and logo. Choosing a name took some time but from the beginning a phrase jumped out to me, but I was uncertain as to whether it would work. It was a lyric I held onto for years–stillness is the move. It’s one of my favorite songs of all time, particularly the Solange cover (sorry, Dirty Projectors). The cover boasts a beautiful west coast beat native Angelenos know and love, so it reminds me of home. Still, it was the lyrics that hooked me in (thank you, Dirty Projectors). I interpret it as an existential song reminding me of the sweetness of life, growth, and self-awareness, as well as the suffering that comes with it. I enjoy art that has something to say, challenges me, and encourages reflection. This song helps me be acutely aware of my existence and in turn, be still, even if it’s for four minutes and some change at a time.

When considering names for my practice, I wanted it to be meaningful for me and also relatable to my clients. I sat in stillness for many years, sometimes as a survival technique and sometimes for intentional growth. I say this while being aware that stillness can sometimes trigger feelings of unsafety for folks. Being still or being alone with thoughts and feelings can bring up painful memories of stressful experiences. While I understand this, I also believe stillness doesn’t have to be feared. Even if it was once scary, it can be transformed to something purposeful. It’s a practice that can actually help build feelings of safety over time. 

Stillness doesn’t only mean meditation. Stillness lives in many things. Stillness is the move. How does stillness feel? It feels like acceptance, fluidity, and authenticity. The antithesis of an internal fight. Stillness is being in harmony. How can we trust ourselves again to know what feels good for us by our own standards rather than someone else’s standards? We can do this in stillness. In stillness, we can find meaning and gain insight into our inner and external world. We can practice stillness through silence, yoga, body movement, conversation, cooking, writing, solitude, and bonding. I try not to engage stillness as a practice I need to perfect, but more so a practice that has potential to bring me deep joy, peace, connection to breath, and awareness. I like to help my clients understand this concept and apply it to their own lives in ways that feel safe and right for them. 

The Chambered Nautilus

I gave myself time to figure out the logo. The light bulb went on one morning immediately after waking up from a dream. It had been a few months since I had resigned from my job. I saw the image so clearly in my mind and remembered the many times I came across it throughout my life. It dates back to a one-on-one conversation I had with my AP English teacher Ms. Shelton, she referenced it (I believe it was a Zora Neale Hurston book we were reading) and explained the meaning of the symbol. By coincidence, a few weeks or months after this conversation, my mother returned from a trip to México and gifted me a chambered shell necklace. I still have this necklace and I wear it from time to time. On and off, I had thought and read about it for years. It all fell into place that peaceful morning. Serendipity. 

This moment was ideal and I was relieved it happened. I had an important decision to make and I didn’t want to stress about it. I gave myself time to think and reflect. I was on a journey to remember my dreams and life goals. This was a challenging task to do after having left a mental health system that severely burned me out. I knew I needed time to recover and so I gave myself that time. This period of recovery allowed me to gain back clarity and make meaningful connections. 

The thing I find fascinating about the chambered nautilus is that it’s one of the oldest creatures known to survive Earth’s oceans for over 450 million years. It is a living fossil. There’s a 12 month gestation period. When it hatches from the egg, there’s 4 fully formed chambers and as it grows, new chambers are formed and old chambers are sealed off. It gradually develops and matures, and forms up to 30 chambers in its lifetime. Does this remind you of anything? Additionally, if you look closely, you’ll notice this symbol appears in many things like sunflowers, trees, water, lemons, ocean waves, hurricanes, our vast galaxy, and even the Golden Ratio based on the Fibonacci sequence, which is also called “the sacred geometry.” It’s a symbol of grace, spiritual growth, movement, beauty, elegance, expansion, renewal, and strength. I often work with folks who are looking to tap into and develop those exact things. In a nutshell, I help folks gain insight, uniquely practice stillness, in order to grow and expand in meaningful ways.

How do you practice stillness? In what ways is stillness meaningful to you? What have you learned from this practice?

Thank you for reading. Until next time–