I pulled into a crowded Target parking lot on a windy, sunny afternoon.

I’ve been doing a bunch of errands and had plenty of direct experience with busy roadways, impatient drivers, and crowded parking lots. So many people rushing to enter stores already teeming with late day shoppers.

As I searched for a spot, the space around me felt congested and the pace frenetic as I heard parents calling to children to hurry.

It was getting close to dinner and I imagined most people were rushing to complete their chores so they could head home and eat. From the looks on the faces around me, not many people were enjoying their day. As I pulled into my parking space, I actually questioned if walking into Target with so many stressed out shoppers was such a bright idea.

I decided to engage the practice of Savoring Stillness before I even exited my car.

For the next few minutes, I would have the opportunity to settle into a gross and subtle exploration of stillness while nestled in my comfortable vehicle.

I left the engine running and turned off the radio. Eyes wide open, I began to notice the contrast. I was aware of sitting in one place rather than being in motion. It was comfortable to take my feet off of the pedals and to allow my hands to rest on my lap. I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and savored the stillness after so much drive time.

The stillness moved through my body and psyche. A sense of relaxation deepened as tightness in my posture that I hadn’t noticed before gently let go with each exhale.

It was in the process of dropping more deeply into relaxed stillness that I noticed movement. My body shifting, moving about in my seat, and settling in with a sigh. My breath was moving me up and then down again in a slow, wavelike action. I felt the vibration of the running vehicle and heard the idling engine. I noticed that movement was present at a more subtle level of sensation throughout my body.

With that awareness, I turned off the car and encountered a new level of stillness.

The rumbling and vibrating gone, I tuned into the quiet even more fully. The time between my inhale and out breath lengthened as I entered a still and Sacred Pause without effort.

As I witnessed the subtle sensations occurring within my physical body, I became aware of occasional rocking on a grand scale as my car was buffeted by the wind.

Shifting my attention to the wind’s effect, I recognized that my cozy chamber of stillness was actually moving in an irregular rhythm. As I tuned in, I heard the music of the wind whistling around the car, lifting a plastic bag in the air, and slamming a car door closed.

I opened my eyes and saw the wind whipping through clothing and long hair, shopping bags, and trees.