“To realise the Self is to be still.” — Ramana Maharshi
Each week we discuss a Black Belt Attitude topic with the kids in our Warrior Talk, this week the topic is on being Still and Neutral.
Remember, you don’t need a black belt to have a black belt attitude, we can all learn and apply a black belt way of thinking. It’s great to be reminded of these simple yet profound ways of relating, but don’t keep it to yourself! Pass it on, we see incredible changes in people who are touched by small acts of unconditional kindness and service.
STILL AND NEUTRAL, READY TO RESPOND
At some point in the class most of you would have heard me say still and neutral, ready to respond. This is the baseline of everything we do, tapping into the stillness that resides deep down inside each of us. Unfortunately we don’t always reach down to get in touch with this stillness in our daily lives, and instead of responding to a situation with calmness and clarity, we react with ego, anger, and aggression.
To get in touch with this stillness, for kids this can be as simple as counting to 10 and focusing on their breathing when they feel flustered or upset. Taking just 2 or 3 really deep breaths before any conflict can quickly connect us to stillness. If that doesn’t work straight away, that’s ok. Don’t force it, just come back to the breath.
It can be more difficult for us as adults, as we’re usually that much further away from our stillness than when we were kids. The next time someone walks right in front of you, pushes ahead of you in the queue, bumps into you – take a moment to see the truth in the situation. Resist the urge to comment or push back. The moment itself is completely neutral, no aggression, no anger. It just is. Pause, breathe, and then consciously respond with calm clarity rather than reacting based on your interpretation of what you think is happening.
GETTING TO WHERE YOU WANT TO BE
Be determined. When others are finishing, you are just getting started. Be the one standing at the end, get physically and mentally exhausted, work through the night, do whatever it takes to achieve whatever it is that you want to do … the world is full of “almosts”.
Please note down the following dates for our first gradings of the year.
ADULTS:
Pre-Grading Intensive: Saturday March 17, 2.00-4.00 p.m
Grading: Sunday March 25, 10.00-11.30 a.m
KIDS:
Grading: Sunday April 8, 9.00-11.00 a.m (Times for each age/belt level to be confirmed).
MONDAY MOTIVATION
Remember you can stay up to date with all the latest dates and events at WestStar on the Events section of our website. We’ll be constantly updating the events page with all the latest happenings and important dates.