Put it all away. Turn off the sound. Listen. Breathe in and then out. What do you hear? What is around you? What have we taken for granted as an organic contribution to your aesthetics? Does the natural sound of where you are contribute to your overall sense of well being? Do you feel put out by unwelcome sounds?
Our surroundings are part of our topography. What we see, hear, taste, feel and smell all contribute to the whole experience of how our lives are influenced by where we live. We know this. But do we fully pay attention to it? Absorb it as a part of the art that is how we live our lives?
Aesthetics
The more mindful I have become in this healing space within my own mind, body and spirit, the more I have appreciated quiet. The silence is very needed in order for our brains to speak to us. When we are actively using our creative brain, we must have only the sound of our thoughts.
Social isolation has been the best thing for the healing space. I am alone most of the time, so navigate it as an adventure in self development. The ability to be alone for months on end forces us to spend time with ourselves. This challenge is not easy for some. We get bored or wish for the sound of another human’s voice. We don’t always get to be alone. There are people who are crowded and cramped without any time for one’s own internal dialog.
Culture
It’s 4 pm and still Wednesday, publishing day for this new blog. I didn’t listen to myself yesterday, when I knew it was deadline/writing day. I ignored myself when I said, “Get writing!”. I didn’t listen to my own internal goal of doing one of these per week. And yet, I listened intently to every single other person, on social media and on the ground, when they said, “Hey, can you do me a favor?”, followed by a favor that took up most of my time.
I have this cultural value that I need to break free of. Something embedded in my brain from ~ years of chronic people pleasing followed by enough angst about the follow through, that I’ve developed a need to ignore my own calling to the practice of mindfulness as a self healing venture, and not just a tool in my shed for my clients.
So many of us push through things we don’t want to do. We ignore the internal dialog that rests so very quietly inside our own thoughts, we forget to stop the noise around us in order to listen to the words of wisdom within our minds.
We owe ourselves the luxury of being authentic, but how are we even supposed to know what that truly means if we don’t quiet our ‘busy brain’, long enough to replenish our thirst for silence. It’s nutrition for our overall health and well-being. The quiet reverie of deeper, more sincere self care. Listen to yourself. What do you have to tell … you?
In peace and light,
KH
Author: Karen Henry is a holistic healer, writer and, positive psychology practitioner since 2007. This is chapter Three. Read more of her work here