Big Bear
11-15-2008, 05:45 AM
So how do we nurture silence?
I was teaching a teenage group to meditate one time.After class a student said,'I have been surrounded by noise my entire life,silence is a distraction.It makes me feel uncomfortable-left with my thoughts'.Of course teaching Qigong and Tai Chi over the years I have heard this many times.
Last thread I outlined possible benefits of silence for individuals and the world.It is ever important to think this way .As humans we have become increasingly Athropomorphic.Quite simply we are concerned only with human being.Living this way we do not honor and lead 'traceless lives'.This accounts for the enviornmental mess we are in and what we leave for our childrens,children.I have camped and hiked all over America and it always astounds me to see people in the wilderness blast music.It is as if to say,'well here I am and here is my humanness,deal with it!' There is so much to learn from non human species.All beings still rememeber the indelible print of silence.
So how can it help Physical Culture.I have watched with interest(even when I can't get on at work-I sneak peeks here throughout the week)people reaching or trying to reach goals.For some they strive for motivation,or extra reps,more power,etc...All absolutely wonderful and worthwhile goals!
Silence can help us.For instance,before we hit the matt we have a golden opportunity to check in with ourselves.As we focus on long,slow,deep,smooth,and even breaths we can look inward to see where we are with body/mind/spirit. Perhaps doing this we will note an overtraining issue.Perhaps because of this we will determine a different path of the mini-vision quest of the day.Perhaps we will note that we are just plum exhausted from the trials of the week and need to gradually slip into our quest like a comfortable slipper via a longer warmup period.Perhaps we will note that we are down today.Perhaps it seems a chore to pick up this practise today.During this time we really learn on mini vision quests(workouts).We know that afterwards we will feel better so perhaps we pick one of those personal favorites and honor our bodies with the wearing of this exercise,inside and out.
I have found over the years that I not only seek silence and stillness before working out,but also afterwards.Many times,sweat dripping and the delicious feel of our total body/mind spirit worked I will sit in meditation.On the old forum,I had written a thread on workouts being a mini vision quest(hope it is not gone?).When we come back to the hustle bustle of our life and its many activities,it can be difficult to transition so suddenly.It is important to 'come back through the sacred door that marks the difference between everyday action,and action as vision'.In our meditation or deep breathing we integrate this wonderful exeperience.We honor ourselves by looking deeply at this Sacred moment and learning from the experience.In this way it becomes a time of wholism,a time of true connection,a time of living fully.
and we do this by the gentle teacher of silence.
Let us turn off the music,the sound,the technology for but a moment.Let us listen to the indelible print of this great teacher.For some at first it may seem deafening.For others it may seem frightfull.With deligent practise it shall inform and heal.Silence is one of the truly great healing balms....
have a truly blessed day my friend!
peace,
jason
I was teaching a teenage group to meditate one time.After class a student said,'I have been surrounded by noise my entire life,silence is a distraction.It makes me feel uncomfortable-left with my thoughts'.Of course teaching Qigong and Tai Chi over the years I have heard this many times.
Last thread I outlined possible benefits of silence for individuals and the world.It is ever important to think this way .As humans we have become increasingly Athropomorphic.Quite simply we are concerned only with human being.Living this way we do not honor and lead 'traceless lives'.This accounts for the enviornmental mess we are in and what we leave for our childrens,children.I have camped and hiked all over America and it always astounds me to see people in the wilderness blast music.It is as if to say,'well here I am and here is my humanness,deal with it!' There is so much to learn from non human species.All beings still rememeber the indelible print of silence.
So how can it help Physical Culture.I have watched with interest(even when I can't get on at work-I sneak peeks here throughout the week)people reaching or trying to reach goals.For some they strive for motivation,or extra reps,more power,etc...All absolutely wonderful and worthwhile goals!
Silence can help us.For instance,before we hit the matt we have a golden opportunity to check in with ourselves.As we focus on long,slow,deep,smooth,and even breaths we can look inward to see where we are with body/mind/spirit. Perhaps doing this we will note an overtraining issue.Perhaps because of this we will determine a different path of the mini-vision quest of the day.Perhaps we will note that we are just plum exhausted from the trials of the week and need to gradually slip into our quest like a comfortable slipper via a longer warmup period.Perhaps we will note that we are down today.Perhaps it seems a chore to pick up this practise today.During this time we really learn on mini vision quests(workouts).We know that afterwards we will feel better so perhaps we pick one of those personal favorites and honor our bodies with the wearing of this exercise,inside and out.
I have found over the years that I not only seek silence and stillness before working out,but also afterwards.Many times,sweat dripping and the delicious feel of our total body/mind spirit worked I will sit in meditation.On the old forum,I had written a thread on workouts being a mini vision quest(hope it is not gone?).When we come back to the hustle bustle of our life and its many activities,it can be difficult to transition so suddenly.It is important to 'come back through the sacred door that marks the difference between everyday action,and action as vision'.In our meditation or deep breathing we integrate this wonderful exeperience.We honor ourselves by looking deeply at this Sacred moment and learning from the experience.In this way it becomes a time of wholism,a time of true connection,a time of living fully.
and we do this by the gentle teacher of silence.
Let us turn off the music,the sound,the technology for but a moment.Let us listen to the indelible print of this great teacher.For some at first it may seem deafening.For others it may seem frightfull.With deligent practise it shall inform and heal.Silence is one of the truly great healing balms....
have a truly blessed day my friend!
peace,
jason