AN EXERCISE IN SOLITUDE

January 8 , 2022 /

AN EXERCISE IN SOLITUDE

Preparing and beginning another journey, an adventure into solitude.

Having been here before, I am welcomed and embraced by an old friend.

“Hello darkness, my old friend
I’ve come to talk with you again
Because a vision softly creeping
Left its seeds while I was sleeping
And the vision that was planted in my brain
Still remains
Within the sound of silence”. Simon & Garfunkel

Alone. By myself. Quiet.  Favorable conditions for exploring the interior life.  No distractions, no diversions, no noise, no interruptions. Silence is a welcome change from the ordinary, everyday business of living and working, of being in a family or a community. It is extracting myself for these moments of looking and listening to inside information.  One of the first things we often hear or become aware of more consciously is our breathing.  We can feel every breath as we take it in and let it out and yet our breathing most days is seldom regarded consciously. It is most often automatic and taken for granted.

As I consider the benefits of gaining new information without any outside influences, I begin to be more comfortable in my solitude. Many people are restless and find it difficult to sit still in a quiet mode for very long.  One way to increase that time, if you find it appealing, is in small increments until you feel ready to spend more and more time, an entire day or even more days in solitude.

Becoming aware of what emerges on my physical, mental and emotional landscape in these quiet moments gives me important information about where my energy is going and whether I want to shift my attention and focus on something different. I may wish to explore those that appear immediately in greater depth and detail at a later time by noting what they are and why they may have appeared just now.  What is important now is now, this moment in time with myself. Now is not only the best time, it is the only time available. The past is gone. The future is not here yet.

Eyes shut. Eyes open. Eyes shut again.  At rest, slowing down. Everything moving slowly now, deliberately.  Thoughts are suspended. Time evaporates. Solitude bathed in silence. Refreshing silence, nurturing Spirit. Food for the soul. Moment upon moment, building momentum, deeper into the welcome space of solitude. Now at one with my being in this space, in this time of now. Immersed in solitude.

 

 

 

Comments (2)

  1. If and when we learn to make friends with it, solitude forms a wonderful friendship. I dare say that it’s One of the best friends and companions that I have on my journey. As you point out, the rewards that it returns are so many. I am grateful for it.

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