Saturday, August 3, 2024, 6:55 a.m. Our house is still. Don sleeps in another bedroom. I sit propped up in our bed. The Covid beast has finally found me. I have escaped its claws for four years. I thought I was impenetrable. Even when Don caught it months ago, I did not get it.
Strangely, being sick is a gift of sorts. Slowing down is what I need. Not that I appreciate the accompanying lethargy. I do not. But the symptoms have put a stop to my busyness. I had a theme in mind as I began to write this blog. Covid pulled me in another direction. For decades, my mornings have begun with silence as I connect with my inner landscape. There is a small still voice that is easy to ignore when I am busy.
Meister Eckhart, a 13th century Christian Mystic said, “I need to be silent for a while. Worlds are forming in my heart.” Isn’t that beautiful? I love imaging worlds forming in your heart and mine. To me that is the very definition of “Unfolding.”
What is forming inside of you or inside of me? The world is such a noisy place. Yet, there is a powerful process going on outside our everyday awareness.
I trust silence. Each circle I lead or program I offer includes periods of turning in to listen to our heart.
Are my decades of experience not enough motivation for you to try it? How about exploring some research on Google? You will find many articles on the topic. The benefits include improved physical health, stress reduction, and better mental health. One researcher referred to the practice of silence as a superpower.
I trust sitting in silence. That will be part of the upcoming Taos retreat. We will spend time visiting the worlds that are forming in our heart.
This is my one recommendation to improve your mental health. Spend time in silence. If possible, sit outside. Begin right after awakening. The brain is still on slower nighttime rhythms. Do it before, you check email, social media, news, etc. Start with a small amount of time. Five, ten or fifteen minutes is a good start. Set a timer. You can pray, meditate, repeat a mantra or rosary. It is also a propitious time to focus on gratitude.
I hope illness will not be your path to slowing down. Have you already found the benefits of morning silence? If so, let my message encourage you to keep going.
There is a richness in silence.
Worlds are forming in your heart.
Discover them in silence.