Invite Silence

I recently had a lovely discussion with a friend at Centering Space about meditation and
what it means to “quiet the mind.” We both admitted that sitting for long periods of time in meditation was pretty
challenging for both of us. However, there is a simpler practice that I engage in regularly that I find
both beautiful and restorative and with the same end in mind. At random moments and for brief periods of time,
I invite silence into my space with the simple goal of bringing my attention to the present moment.
These moments can be woven throughout the day, for instance sitting with a cup of tea on myback porch
at dawn and drinking in the first light, or the sound of birds, or the wind breathing through the trees.
It happens when I am walking through Lakewood on an errand, when I deliberately slow my
pace and become more conscious of the world through which I am passing. Turning off the
music when I am driving, doing chores mindfully in a silent house, or sitting in the woods, the
garden or at the lakefront are all opportunities to invite total silence into my being.
Inevitably, in that moment, my heart rate slows, my body relaxes, my senses become elevated,
and I experience the presence of Spirit. Or perhaps better said, I feel myself joined together and
in flow with the One Spirit.

By Syndie Eardly