Listening, Imagination, and Movement
Well, we can stop
for a while, if we try hard enough,
if we are lucky. We can sit still,
keep silence, let the phoebe, the sycamore,
the river, the stone call themselves
by whatever they call themselves, their own
sounds, their own silence, and thus
may know for a moment the nearness
of the world, its vastness,
its variousness, far and near,
which only silence knows.~Wendell Berry
There is no one way to engage silence, to create this interior silence we are seeking. In my experience, when I touch into this Divine home of silence within me, it feels like it’s always been there, waiting for me to rediscover it. It’s like a sacred a-ha, a yes that was spoken before I was born and that will reverberate after I am physically gone. It’s an eternal feeling, the presence of the Holy.
As we move into our second week of silence, I want to offer you three ways to practice. You might find that you are drawn to one over the others, but I encourage you to practice each method at least once.
Listening:
Find a spot out in the natural world– a quiet park, a lakeside, your back porch– and settle your body into the space on a chair or a cushion, or even cross-legged on the grass. Set your timer (with gentle re-entry sound) for your daily allotment of minutes, and then simply breathe your way into the sounds of the space around you. Last week invited a specific focus on the breath, and it will remain a touchstone, but this week allow your breath to be in the background. Be fully present to the sounds you hear. As Wendell Berry’s poem offers, let whatever is around you “call themselves…whatever they call themselves.” If thoughts, feelings, or to-do list items arise, simply let them go and return to the present moment of listening.
God is the friend of silence. See how nature– trees, flowers, grass– grows in silence; see the stars, the moon, and the sun, how they move in silence.
~Mother Theresa
Imagination:
Imagination is a Divine gift in this human life, allowing us to connect with a God who is beyond all finite understanding. Metaphor and image are beautiful and important tools of prayer, engaging us in visual and emotional experiences of the Sacred.
This week open yourself to receive an image that speaks to you of peace, of stillness. Maybe this is a specific place you have been, or desire to go. Maybe this is an encounter with Jesus on a walking path in your mind or sitting on a bench with a beloved wisdom figure. Perhaps you will imagine flight as a bird in a wide blue sky, or floating in a small boat in the middle of a still pond.
As you engage your image, timer set, eyes gently closed, deepen your breath and notice what arises for you. Notice how your senses respond to the imaginative prayer and what feelings are present within you. Remain with your image for the duration of your practice.
Movement:
During the early days of the pandemic, my family and I spent many park hours walking and exploring. On one of these trips my daughter discovered an empty creek bed with wonderful, varied stones, and began to slowly and carefully create stone cairns, trying to find the exact balance point for each one. It was a deeply meditative activity and we all stopped to join her.
Slow, intentional, repetitive movements offer us a way to enter into silence and interior stillness. In your practice this week engage movement as an entrance point. Stack stone cairns, slowly doodle circles on a page, practice the rosary or other set of prayer beads, or get outside and practice walking meditation.
Walking meditation is one of my favorite practices. No music, no podcasts, no exercise (except of your capacity for silence). Find a walking location that is inviting to you and set your timer. Close your eyes for a moment as you stand grounded, and allow five deep, slow, full cycles of breath. Then begin to walk, very slowly and intentionally, with your posture alert and aware, feeling every inch of your foot meeting the earth. Let each step be steady and gentle, noticing each body sensation and presenting a heart-forward wordless prayer as you walk. When your attention wanes, or you become distracted, breathe your way back to the rhythmic movement of your steps.
After each of your practice times this week, I encourage you to journal briefly your experiences. Are there any practices you particularly resonate with? Is there anything you resist? What did you notice interiorly and how did you receive God’s presence?
Somewhere in those depths of silence I came upon my first experiences of God as a loving presence that was always near, and prayer as a simple trust in that presence.
~Cynthia Bourgeault
This week’s video is a guided imaginative meditation of 10 minutes, with a brief introduction, perfect for August 10th, or any time.
Guided Imaginative Meditation
Password: dayten
How has your practice been for you? Surprising? Emotional? Challenging? Insightful? Reply to this email and share with me. I would love to have a conversation about your experience. And continue to share on Instagram with the tag #practicingsilenceaugust.