The Power of Being in Stillness

By Peggy Sealfon

It was a lovely temperate Saturday evening in Naples, Florida accented with a subtle breeze, which was both a welcomed change from the daytime deluge of rain and a relief since the 1st Zero Stress Zone Flash Mob was about to take place outdoors.  I was driving  into Mercato, a bustling open-air center studded with restaurants, bars, retail shops, and diverse entertainment.  As I entered, I couldn’t help but notice a man wearing Lederhosen,  a woman dressed as a devil her hair topped in red feathers, another person whose face was painted like a skeleton, another man stumbling in spiky high heels wearing knee socks and a short plaid skirt. My mind spun and then remembered that Halloween was just days away.  I parked quickly and hurried to the area for the “Flash Mob” meditation.   But how would our event play out in the midst of this costumed frivolity? Shakespeare’s “All the world’s a stage…” bubbled into my thoughts.

I was unsure how our plan would unfold and I felt both excited and slightly nervous wondering if anyone would actually show up to participate. Carmelo, an artist-friend who had helped create the idea during one of our monthly Full Moon Quantum Meditations, had already texted me that he was delayed at the Miami Airport and probably wouldn’t make it. As I approached the designated spot with ten minutes to spare,  I started videotaping a few snippets of the busy scene that we would soon converge onto…hopefully.   Outdoor diners were packed into Bravo’s, an Italian Restaurant, enjoying the food and ambiance. Our special place was adjacent in clear view and definitely in earshot. We were all to sit around or across from an exquisite banyan tree; nature would help ground us for the experience.

The idea of the Zero Stress Zone Flash Mob is to bring stillness into the chaotic, noisy environment of a seasonal weekend night on the town. We purposely selected a high-traffic area to show by example that stillness can be achieved effortlessly and that calmness allows a chance to retreat from external circumstances and provide a connection to each other and to source. The intention is to show stillness in the midst of activity and, through the ability to drop into a personal place of stillness in a “mob”, to touch others. It’s an experiment. It’s not any political statement. It’s not “for” or “against.” It’s just about “being” and through our silence, it’s about spreading love…energetically. But was it possible? Would the silence of the group be pervasive or would it get lost in the lights, cars, honking horns, clanking dinner plates, yelling of children, and general din of an outdoor gathering place?  Would there even be a group or would it just be me soloing with an intention and a video camera! I was working at relaxing with what is. Whatever would present itself would be a learning experience. But I admit I felt a huge sigh of relief as participants began trickling in and sliding into places on the concrete, built-in benches. The event was happening.

As planned, at 7:33 PM I gonged a Tibetan Singing Bowl to announce the time for meditation had arrived. We had an intimate group of  people who immediately sat totally still, closed their eyes and disappeared into a peaceful space. Passersby stopped to gawk and wonder; some quieting friends as they strolled by. As I moved into the walkway in the midst of the “mob” to begin videotaping, strikingly unusual sensations manifested for me. Even with my concentration

Stillness on a Saturday evening in Mercato

on capturing the experience on video, I began to FEEL the effects of meditation. I was overcome with a sense of joy. I could FEEL the silence even in spite of all the external noises. I could FEEL a deep sense of love filling the air, touching my heart. The energy was palpable and powerful. It was exhilarating. I was stunned that this small group could have such an overwhelming presence and such an immediate impact. Frankly, it was uncanny.

The original plan was to meditate for 15 minutes,  at which time I would initiate another series of gongs, and then everyone would disperse without any dialogue. We would all just slip away into the night. Stillness transforming  into the silence of disappearing, blending into the flow of the evening.  But when the meditation ended, everyone was so amazed by the experience that none of us could resist staying on and sharing our thoughts. Some of us had just met and yet we were all instant friends, with a thrilling sense of connectedness, camaraderie,  and gratitude as if we had all just synchonistically floated up on an island filled with beauty and abundance.

Participants in the Zero Stress Zone Flash Mob

Several expressed that they had felt self conscious at first, concerned about whether or not they could really meditate in  the midst of crowds. Yet after just a few moments,  all were equally impressed at how they surrendered to the silence of their own experience and the loud noises of the surroundings seemed to soften and become more and more distant. The hubbub evaporated in their field of awareness. Together the group created a dramatic respite from all the commotion, a hushed zone of peace, quiet, balance and harmony.  Onlookers could feel the distinct shift and many were affected. Some took pictures. Some became quieter as they observed us. Afterwards several people were curious and stopped to ask questions about what we were doing.

Research has clearly proven the benefits of meditation both physiologically and psychologically. But for most practitioners, meditation is something observed in privacy. Bringing this experience out into a public arena was frought with unknowns and yet the power of being in stillness prevailed. It was an evening of discovery, empowerment, understanding and love. In fact, it was such a remarkable event that we are already planning another one in a surprise location!  Stay tuned.  (Here’s a look at a brief video of the 1st Zero Stress Zone Flash Mob:

http://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?v=2383027028028

Note: The more you meditate, the more you tap into the source within you and access your higher wisdom for creativity, healing, energizing. If you’d like to learn the Quantum Breath Meditation in the Amrit Method (developed by world-renowned Yogi Master Gurudev Amrit Desai), join the monthly Full Moon Quantum Meditations or contact me for a private session. It’s a transformational technique that opens you to an inner dimension unleashing your innate powers. It’s quite simple to learn yet delivers profound results giving you empowering tools to live more fully and more healthfully. Contact me at: Peggy@StonewaterStudio.com