Quietude
“There
is a third choice besides being busy and killing time, something
profound.”
James
Rozoff
The lake is almost flat
today. Crosshatches spread across the water's surface, where
yesterday, blustery, were white caps as far as one could see. The
rising sun reflects pale lavender, and all is still.
In the new year, I want
to master my busyness. To find some minutes in the day to simply
stop, and allow quiet to fall around me and bring me to stillness.
Here at Lake Martin, the movement of the water, whether blustery or
calm, mesmerizes. At home, the ticking of the clock is only a
reminder of how much there is to do, and how far behind I am. I
wonder whether you battle these same distractions.
On the Live and Dare
website, Giovanni Dienstmann, lists the benefits of meditation
practice. There have been some 3,000 scientific studies showing that
daily meditation, regardless of what type you use, benefits the
immune system, and therefore, overall health. It lowers blood
pressure, increases mental strength and focus, reduces sadness,
depression, hostility, and reactivity, and increases creativity; it
improves breathing and heart rate. Most people, including me, get
tripped up on what actually constitutes meditation. Do I have to sit
on a mat on the floor and clear my mind of any thoughts—no. Do I
have to come up with a mantra to vocalize—no. Do I have to manage
my breath and focus on my diaphragm—no. You can simply stop, and
spend 20 minutes watching the wind blow, the water ripple, the fire
wave, the clouds go by, or listen to birdsong. If you live in a busy
city, you can walk (not power walk, but mindfully walk), or sit and
watch the cars go by. Or you can sit inside your house and listen to
quiet music or a guided meditation. The whole purpose is to stop, and
come to a place of mental and physical stillness. For twenty minutes,
do nothing—just be.
If you knew, without
doubt, that there is one simple thing you can do for a mere twenty
minutes a day, that would improve your overall life, health and
relationships, as well as, increase your longevity, why would you not
do it? Quietude is vitamins for the soul. Let's get some today.
In the Spirit,
Jane
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