Time
for Solitude
“Solitude
is very different from a 'time-out' from our busy lives. Solitude is
the very ground from which community grows. Whenever we pray alone,
study, read, write, or simply spend a quiet time away from the places
where we interact with each other directly, we are potentially opened
for deeper intimacy with each other.”
Henri
Nouwen
In the midst of all the
chaos in our political life, now is a very good time for each and
everyone of us to claim some time for solitude. We can get so
engrossed in the turmoil, the accusations shot back and forth and
swirling all around, that we aren't even walking around in our
bodies. Our heads are spinning like that scene from The Exorcist.
It's time to stop and take some deep breaths, turn off the constant
media yak-yak-yak and remove ourselves. Be quiet. Be still. Feel your
body and mind relax and grow calm. If possible, do this in a natural
setting, outside where the rhythms of nature can deepen your
experience.
Because we are in such a
state of aggressive turmoil, we have a hard time being still and
quiet. We find ourselves talking incessantly about the same
topics—like the needle on a vinyl record that's stuck in a scratch,
we say the same things repeatedly. Instead of accessing our better
angels, our rational minds, or our higher power, we escalate our
anger. We get caught up in fight-or-flight behavior and aggressive
brain chemistry, which causes us to stay hyper-vigilant even when we
are exhausted. Taking some time—even twenty minutes a day—away
from this heightened state of arousal, will help us to think clearly
and act sanely. I find walking (or if you're able, running, swimming or biking)
to be an effective means of lowering the threshold of agitation and
anger. Exercise that involves the whole body has the potential to
focus the mind within. I suggest that you choose an outside setting,
if possible, and that you leave all electronics behind, or at least
not plugged into your ears. Give yourself twenty minutes of silence.
It's impossible to think
clearly when our brains are flooded with the chemicals needed for
warfare, or survival in a natural disaster. We begin to act as though
our lives are in danger all the time when they aren't. It's up to
each of us to take responsibility for lowering our level of paranoia
and aggressiveness. The last thing on earth we need is to turn on one
another and act out of the fear and anger we feel. Let's agree to
lower the temperature by taking two steps back and giving ourselves
time away from the constant media input.
Solitude is not the same
as slowing down in the midst of a busy schedule. It truly involves
time alone to be quiet and to communicate within, or simply to allow your mind to be quiet. No outside stimulation, just silence and our own
thoughts for long enough to feel them calm down—to allow the frayed
edges of our psyches to rest and recuperate. It's okay to claim this
time for yourself. You're worth it, and our world needs it.
In the Spirit,
Jane
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