Still Stream
The best place to see deep
Turbidity - The cloudiness or haziness of a fluid caused by large numbers of individual particles that are generally invisible to the naked eye. The measurement of turbidity is a key test of both water clarity and water quality.
Mental Turbidity - The cloudiness or haziness of the mind caused by large numbers of individual thoughts and emotions that are generally invisible to consciousness. The measurement of turbidity is a key test of both clarity of mind and the quality of thought.
Turbulence causes turbidity. Both in a stream and in our life. But actually, as a metaphor this only works some of the time. When a stream is running through a mature BC landscape where I live, its usually very clear and you can see through it easily to the features under the water; but in a scared landscape the heavy coastal rains wash away fine particulates that then accumulate in streams and make them cloudy. And the torrents that rush through a wounded landscape are very turbulent, and this turbulence does in fact lead to turbidity downstream.
Likewise in my inner landscape. When there is a wound my inner rains cause torrents that work on the wounds to cloud and haze my mind for a time, but as the inner turmoil lessens, clarity returns.
This basic idea informs still stream coaching, as does the fact that turbulent streams are full of bubbles and swirling water, so it is difficult to see very far in such water even if the turbidity is low. All is jumbled and confusing and hard to see. But when the stream flattens out and the water becomes calmer, the waving water plants and swimming fish can be seen below the surface.
So that is what I aim for in coaching sessions, a flat spot in the stream where we can see not the wound, as that is generally the work of a trained counselor, but the fish and waving plants which metaphorically refer to the things that reside within you that you many not have realized you had, or that you only occasionally found on previous fishing expiditions.
Getting to stillness, however, for most people, is not easy. And part of the reason I focus on streams in my coaching is because flow is both ever present with us, but also the result of stream work. Because just as too much turbulence is a problem, too much blockage is too. In this analogy turbulence can stand in for anxiety and blockage can stand in for depression.
By address both the turbulence and the blockages, we can achieve the optimal level of flow, not to fast, and not too slow, and the rate of flow is different for everyone, but erosion and stagnation are not.
Where I live, the best places are mature ecosystems in which flow is well regulated by the natural flora, trees and plants and moss and ferns all mitigating damage to the soil, while also drawing sustenance from the flow of water in a gentle and controlled way. This doesn’t mean there are no streams and rivers, just that they are part of the overall flow.
If you are experiencing mental turbidity or stagnation, which can also cloud the water, consider working with a coach or counselor to help uncover and face the wounds or blockages that interrupting the healthy flow in your life.