The Quieted Mind
Aug 20, 2020
The quieter you become, the more you can hear.
- Ram Dass
Silence. It's not just the absence of words, though that's where it begins.
It's the quieting of the mind, the slowing down of the stream of thoughts.
When the ripples of the mind settle and become like the calm surface of a lake, as the classic analogy goes, it becomes still, clear and pristine.
From here, peace emerges.
If I'm honest with myself, this is the experience I long for the most, the most precious gift of yoga in my life. It often eludes me, but when I do experience it, I realize that silence, more than anything, is what I pray my practices will bring. The gift of quietude that reveals freedom, serenity, and clarity.
It's from a quiet mind that all great work gets accomplished.
It's from a quiet mind that we can meet life from the best possible stance.
It's from a quiet mind that we're able to give our best to the situations and circumstances at hand.
It's from a quiet mind that we can listen to ourselves, to others, and to what the universe is telling us, and respond.
Consider silence today. No matter how busy you are, I bet there moments throughout the day where you don't need to speak, where you aren't interacting with others. Capture those spaces in your day to settle into your body and breath, and allow the mind to settle. If only for a tiny moment, become quiet and emerge renewed.