Our daily schedules follow a routine that align with our roles and responsibilities. Work, parenting, interacting with others, etc. Constant action and motion. The noise from our outside environment permeates into our heads. Take a moment to stop and sit in silence. Notice the “noise” going on in your head. Is it busy? Is it uncomfortable? Is it a reflection of what’s going on outside of yourself?
There was a time not too long ago that I didn’t allow silence to be a part of my routine. I avoided it. It was easier to get caught up in the rhythm of my external world. Meditating, for example, seemed like a chore. Why would I want to sit in silence and hear the noise in my head when I am already fixated and spending my energies trying to manage the “noise” outside of my head? There is also still some stigma about meditating, or yoga practice, especially for men. I decided to look past that. At some point, I gave exercising without my iPod a try. Then it was jogging without music. I introduced yoga into my exercise routine. Then I began to meditate.
What I found was meditating, for example, wasn’t hard. The hardest part was letting go of the idea that there was a set “way” to meditate. Letting go of my own expectations of self. I also had to let go of the idea that meditating was just for people who grew their food in their backyards, had no TV’s, and said things like “namaste”.
Everyone can meditate, pray, exercise, allow silence, or whatever it is you do to go inside of yourself. Take time to check out the numerous mental, physical, and spiritual benefits of meditation that are backed by recent research. (I point out meditation in this case as it has been studied as of late. I believe adding a period of silence and reflection in your day, whatever it is you do is extremely beneficial).
If we take time out from our normal perceptions and interactions with our worlds, we might see things, and ourselves, in a different light. Many of the things we take so seriously begin to fall into perspective. A lot of the drama we deal with at work and with others can begin to fade away. If there is an answer we are seeking, perhaps we can listen for the response if we take time to close out the outside world for just a few minutes.
Everything we need is inside of us. Every answer, every revelation, every new thought is within our being…not outside.
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