I’m being drawn to open up a book that I once read, “Be as you are, the teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi”, edited by David Godman. I don’t know, maybe it’s those peaceful deep set smiling eyes on the cover of the book, calling me in.

My brother-in-law, David Michelson, wrote a beautiful song about those eyes, “Ramana’s Eyes”.

I recall a time in my journey where I could not read enough spiritual books, could not listen to enough CD’s and tapes, could not obtain enough knowledge. I was always searching, searching for answers. I needed to know “The Truth”. I mistakenly thought that if I read that one sentence, then enlightenment would happen. I would miraculously awaken.

I finally realized that I was looking for truth in the wrong place. I was trying to find it in my mind instead of my heart. Here I was searching, going on this so called “journey”. And the truth was there all along. Staring me in the face, like Ramana’s eyes. The truth never left me. I left it.

I would read and read. Sit in meditation, waiting to wake up, trying to make myself silent. And Silence was already there. Awareness was always present. Awareness is always there. Awareness is, all there is.

I finally realized that there is no goal to reach, nothing new to obtain. All that was ever needed was a deep realization of what and who I am, what I always was and will be, what is always and forever. It finally sunk in. I am Awareness. How could I look for and try to obtain something that I already was, Awareness itself. It’s the big cosmic joke, trying to search for something that was there all along.

Now, as I look at those smiling eyes of Ramana, I can smile back at him.

I went to a five day silent retreat in the beautiful hudson valley a couple of months ago. One rainy day, while sitting in a small room for meditation, I happened to look up at the chalkboard on the wall.

I saw these words “Be Still and Know That I am God”. I remember hearing or reading these words long ago. They come from the Bible. I do not recall where exactly they can be found. But I distinctly remember this phrase.

As I looked up at the board, I saw these words were separated out like this:

Being

Stillness

Knowing

That I am

God

Written out this way, the phrase took on a whole new meaning for me. These words are all pointers to the same thing. The hidden meaning behind this phrase is that We Are This. We are: The Being, The Stillness, The Knowing, the That I am and God!

I found myself meditating on this phrase in this way. It became a powerful mantra for me.

Be Still… and Know, That I am… God!

Rest in the stillness, knowing that you are that stillness, you are that Being, you are God.

Take five minutes out of your day to breathe. Close your eyes. Sit and feel the silence. Breathe. Let go. Let your life go in this very moment. Relax your eyes. Relax your mind. Stay in this moment. Take a deep breathe in. And let it go. Feel the release move down your neck to your belly, to your legs and out your feet.

We are all busy, especially us moms. But try to take five every day. Lock yourself in your bathroom if you have to. The stress of a busy lifestyle can cause us to forget how to relax and breathe.