LIGHTWORDS - ILLUMINATING LIFE
Articles
“The secret of strength lies in the quiet mind.”
White Eagle
Learning to be Quiet and Still
Have you ever considered the number of thoughts that flow through your mind daily? Studies have shown we think between 50,000-60,000 thoughts each day and a large percentage of our thoughts are both repetitious (e.g. what will I buy for lunch, did I lock the car) and negative. In a world that is dedicated to fast thinking and distraction, silence and stillness of the mind may seem impractical, elusive. Not so!
Learning to still our mind daily is essential if we want to decrease stress levels and improve our health. Meditation, in particular, is an effective tool that can be used to achieve this.
Research has shown that when practiced regularly, meditation is beneficial in lowering blood pressure. It decreases oxygen consumption, heart and respiratory rates; it can lessen the production of the stress hormone cortisol. With a reduction in mental stress we are less anxious, have more energy and sleep better. Often insights beyond our thoughts occur when we meditate. In a quiet mind, solutions to our problems can appear.
In essence, meditation helps to calm our busy mind. There are many meditative practices available and it can be challenging when you first start. The idea is to take it slowly and be regular in your practice.
This Month’s Tip:
Enjoy the gift of strength that a quiet mind brings and join a meditation class. Each day try one of the following: sit still and in silence for 10 minutes; listen to music that is calming and soothing; listen to meditation or relaxation audios before going to bed; read inspirational material; make the commitment to have ‘time out’ from phones and emails so freeing you to enjoy quiet time.
These small changes in routines help us to reconnect with peace.
We can’t buy peace. It comes from within. Quietening our mind, tapping into peace gives us the strength to manage our lives well.