Dignity and Calm Strength

Thomas Woltz, the extraordinary landscape architect, is also an extraordinary speaker. He carries himself with a dignity and calm strength and is a perfect example of someone who “magnetizes in.” His stillness and poise are riveting. We are pulled towards his words.

In his Charlottesville TEDx Talk, we can see this calm strength, feel the dignity, and the magentic pull of our attention.

On January 1, 2023, I began a year-long on-line program with Rick Hanson called, The Foundations of Well-Being. Rick is a psychologist and mindfulness practitioner. In many of the weekly practices, he uses the phrases “calm strength” and “sitting with a sense of dignity.” As I sit for the practices, I feel my spine unfurl, the crown of my head grow towards the sky, my ribs expand. As the physical sensation of dignity and calm strength spreads through my body, an inner sense of dignity and calm strength takes root. I walk, stand, speak, from this place.

Calm strength and dignity are qualities that people associate with presence, charisma, power, poise, and trust.

Simply do this, every morning for a few minutes before we begin our day:

• First, sit comfortably, legs apart, with a strong base of the spine planted into the chair.

• Find the sense of balance between our feet, our knees, and our spine, like a strong triangle.

• Allow the spine to unfurl, falling up, towards the ceiling.

• Allow the head to balance easily on top of the spine, the crown lifting, allowing the chin to fall.

• Take in a deep, belly breath, expanding like a balloon, filling the bowl of our hips.

• Exhale on a long count of 10.

• Imagine sitting with a sense of dignity.

• Now, rise up, with calm strength and dignity, as we enter our day.

This week, I invite all of us to spend a few minutes every morning exploring calm strength and dignity.