This phrase can be read two ways: composure is in danger of being lost throughout society, and composure is the quality most needed in a crisis. This state  of mind has many benefits. On the bigger scale, composure helps us maintain focus in a time of danger or emergency. In everyday life it allows us to evaluate and react to challenges that might otherwise throw us off balance. Composure allows the body to maintain homeostasis, that steady state of physiological functioning where all internal systems are humming along with healthy efficiency.

Our mainstream media is obsessed with those cases where composure has been lost; it broadcasts the disastrous results repeatedly until we either turn away or accept it as the norm. The crisis of composure leads to fear, hatred, violence and anger in its many forms. We all need to stop, take a deep breath, and let our mind relax into equanimity. This is the natural state of composure. Meditation helps, qigong helps, many forms of mind/body awareness help to let us see that we are all in the same boat floating on the sea of life.

Every experience we have – whether it’s an interpersonal exchange or solely within our mind – is pleasant, unpleasant or neutral. This is how we usually perceive the world: good, bad or neither. The state of equanimity can embrace each of these three perceptions with total acceptance but without emotional clinging and anxiety. You stand firm in tranquility. But, don’t confuse composure with indifference. Being aloof and disengaged from the joys and sorrows of life is a lonely state of mind. Lack of concern and disinterest are imposters of equanimity. Composure/Equanimity is kind and compassionate but tempered with the wisdom of nonattachment. The combination of compassion and composure is what allows us to care profoundly, and yet accept the limits of what we can do. 

How to Cultivate Composure Everyday.
Notice how many pleasant and unpleasant experiences you have each day.
You are constantly hearing, seeing, smelling, tasting, touching, or thinking about the world around you.
Tune into those sensations (yes, thoughts are a form of sensory perception).
Take a few moments, several times a day, to become aware of how you categorize those sensations.
See how there is a constant movement between those that are pleasant and those that are unpleasant.
Does that create a feeling of tension in your body?
Now, take notice of those sensations to which you have a neutral impression, which is neither pleasant nor unpleasant.
Is there a subtle but detectable calmness in your neutral mind state?

Equanimity comes from blending compassion and wisdom. We can take action to relieve the suffering of a friend, correct injustices in society, and care for mother earth without being overwhelmed by the situation. Compassion is the action, wisdom is the view, and composure is the result – a tranquil journey through the storms and calm waters on the vast ocean of your mind. Composure is the mind state of spiritual awakening.