"Shhhh . . . Be Quiet"
Many years ago, my loving mother gifted the book “The Art of Doing Nothing: Simple Ways to Make Time for Yourself” by Veronique Vienne to me as a ‘love present’. She was witnessing my very ‘full’ lifestyle, and although she truly admired my keen juggling skills, I believe she thought I might crash and burn at some point. Ok, fair enough . . she might have been right! But honestly, what in the world does ‘doing nothing’ actually look like? What a foreign concept to ponder!
Turns out I must have needed to hear that message loud and clear, as later on the words “Be Still” seem to be echoing in my head and heart from a most divine place. Not sure what God’s voice actually sounds like, but the message I received came from deep within my soul. Honestly, I am still very much ‘work in progress’ at mastering ‘the art of doing nothing’, but there are days when practicing the important skill of ‘being still’ is exactly what my body, mind and soul need! Quiet. Stillness. A moment to just BE.
Although launching a new candle business is not for the faint of heart, the quiet days in the candle studio with all of the beautiful aromas and warming wax is such a sanctuary of rest and stillness. Starting the candle business with my beautiful daughter (and now our whole family) fuels my creative, entrepreneurial self, yet the calmness of hand-pouring beautiful candles offers a space to slow down and be quiet.
I now fully believe that It is so important to find a way in our days to literally ‘Be Still’. Whether it’s starting off your morning with a daily devotional and a journal or doing a quiet morning yoga stretch in the backyard or maybe even curling up iunder a cozy blanket in the afternoon with a yummy cup of chai and a good book, it’s important to create the space to be still and recharge. It may not be ‘nothing’, but it is taking time for yourself. It is impossible to pour from an empty vessel so taking time to replenish and recharge is so important.
Speaking of ‘recharge’, Bridget and I had the amazing opportunity to participate in an incredible women’s retreat in beautiful Costa Rica last year. Highly Recommend! The retreat, put on by ‘Recharge the Soul – All Inclusive Retreats for Women’, provided us an opportunity to connect with each other and other women who were making time to recharge. (Recharge the Soul).
Equally as important, the retreat provided us an opportunity to connect with our authentic self on a very deep and meaningful level. We brought some of our travel tins to share with the other women and ended up lighting some for ourselves when we had quiet, beautiful moments alone. Candles always bring a calmness and peacefulness to the moment. They help quiet the mind and allow a gentle focus of self-reflection to come to light.
‘The art of doing nothing’ is still a challenging reach for me (thinking I need to re-read that book again!), but the idea of being still is something I know is important to my well-being. The little sign that sits at the entrance of Revival Float & Wellness (Bridget’s other beautiful work sanctuary in Grass Valley, CA) states “The Quieter You Become; The More You Can Hear”. This is so true! For real clarity, one must be quiet and be still.
Here are three of our candles that help promote calmness and stillness:
“Sea Stories”, our tranquility candle, features aquamarine, the stone of calm. Sea Salt | Wild Orchid | Green Mandarin
‘Fog Bank”, our cozy blanket candle, is featured in warm grey, the color of calm. Black Pepper | Pomander | Copaiba
‘Be Still’, the ‘spa-esque’ candle, is all about being still. Eucalyptus | Mint | Moonflower
Take time to breathe and just BE.