. . . . . . DING! . . . . . .
Many of you have told me that you feel tired at the end of the day. . . sometimes too tired to come to class.
When you learn to practice yoga and meditation especially, you will begin to see that we dissipate whatever energies we have in all manner of ways throughout the day. Is it any wonder how we feel we are on low battery when we need to draw on our strength to face a challenge or to face another yoga class? ;-P
Silence is a great educator. I was sitting in meditation yesterday and the thoughts are still unsettled in my mind. I focused and tried to relax at the same time. I remember thinking, "wah! so noisy the thoughts!" While this is happening, a student came in through the door and the bell on the door "DING"-ed once. With this sound, my thoughts are stilled. Why? I noticed the difference between the wannabe silence that in my mind even though the thoughts are still swimming, and the silence outside that followed the DING. I shuddered and shifted my awareness into the silence following the DING and the mind quiet itself down. Ah. Interesting.
When I opened my eyes, I feel so refreshed. It is always a great blessing that when I opened my eyes, I am greeted by smiles of those of you who have come to class. Silence can recharge you. So noise dissipates. Our thoughts are already going at breakneck pace but our mouths sometimes tries to outrun our thoughts! How many times have you said something before you thought it through? Why do we talk and talk and talk? (I am most guilty of this!) This is because silence is a daunting prospect to us. We do not know what to do with it. We are afraid of it. We are afraid of what we may have to confront when we are in silence -- our true selves. This is not an obstacle to us, this is a chance to learn about ourselves so that we understand how to fulfil ourselves.
Thus this is a precious way to conserve energy. At the end of the day, when you are tired mentally and physically already, allow yourself some luxury: dwell in silence for a while. As opposed to talking to your friends about things you already talked about all day, why not just experience sitting quietly with them before class. Listen to the aircon. Listen to the traffic. Without judgement, without prejudice. Listen to the sound of the door bell and the space of silence that follows. The silence within you will wrap you up in its warm blanket and give you a deeper rest than you've ever had -- so that you will want to return into that embrace again and again. Ah.
When you learn to practice yoga and meditation especially, you will begin to see that we dissipate whatever energies we have in all manner of ways throughout the day. Is it any wonder how we feel we are on low battery when we need to draw on our strength to face a challenge or to face another yoga class? ;-P
Silence is a great educator. I was sitting in meditation yesterday and the thoughts are still unsettled in my mind. I focused and tried to relax at the same time. I remember thinking, "wah! so noisy the thoughts!" While this is happening, a student came in through the door and the bell on the door "DING"-ed once. With this sound, my thoughts are stilled. Why? I noticed the difference between the wannabe silence that in my mind even though the thoughts are still swimming, and the silence outside that followed the DING. I shuddered and shifted my awareness into the silence following the DING and the mind quiet itself down. Ah. Interesting.
When I opened my eyes, I feel so refreshed. It is always a great blessing that when I opened my eyes, I am greeted by smiles of those of you who have come to class. Silence can recharge you. So noise dissipates. Our thoughts are already going at breakneck pace but our mouths sometimes tries to outrun our thoughts! How many times have you said something before you thought it through? Why do we talk and talk and talk? (I am most guilty of this!) This is because silence is a daunting prospect to us. We do not know what to do with it. We are afraid of it. We are afraid of what we may have to confront when we are in silence -- our true selves. This is not an obstacle to us, this is a chance to learn about ourselves so that we understand how to fulfil ourselves.
Thus this is a precious way to conserve energy. At the end of the day, when you are tired mentally and physically already, allow yourself some luxury: dwell in silence for a while. As opposed to talking to your friends about things you already talked about all day, why not just experience sitting quietly with them before class. Listen to the aircon. Listen to the traffic. Without judgement, without prejudice. Listen to the sound of the door bell and the space of silence that follows. The silence within you will wrap you up in its warm blanket and give you a deeper rest than you've ever had -- so that you will want to return into that embrace again and again. Ah.
