Sounds of Silence - Thankful Thursday

One of the schools I work at, signed a few of us teachers to a Mindfulness Based Stress Relief (MBSR) course. What a great idea! Taking care of your teachers!!!

I've been going doing this course now for the past 7 Saturdays. But this, was one of the most resilient meetings for me.

Let me just describe the location first...every week I make the trek towards the teacher's home. After you park your car, you take a 3 minute walk on a quiet neighborhood street. When you finally reach this Key West style home, you take a few seconds to admire it. On the side of the house, there is a narrow walkway leading you to the back of her house and her beautiful pool deck surrounded by a lush, gorgeous, and green garden. If you listen...you could hear the sounds of the birds chirping. Every so often, you'd see a parrot or a blue jay, or a robin. It really was amazing! And after observing nature, you walk into her peaceful and serene classroom. Here we usually talked and described our experiences with feelings, pains, thoughts, and emotions.

But this saturday was different, she asked us to be silent. She invited all of us in the room, to be silent, to practice not speaking, to avoid talking.

It was crazy! This lady thought I'd be silent for 6 hours? How in the world was I going to accomplish this in a group of 20 people? But for the most part, we did it. I did it. We did some yoga, some walking meditation, some feeling exercises...as for me, the best part, was eating in silence.

At lunch, I chose to sit by myself. In a little corner of the deck where the large palm trees gave shade to my area. I began eating what seemed to be the most delicious PB&J sandwich I've ever had. I smelled the air around me and then I put my nose close to my bread, my sandwich. I gave it a good whiff and then I took a bite of it. And I slowly chewed it and I chewed and I chewed. Then I paused and looked at it and back up at the bamboo and palm trees, the bushes, the beautiful roses and bouganvilias. And it sounds so crazy and weird but really...it was surreal.

Aaahhhhh but it was just amazing. Try it...try to be silent. Just smile, nod, and shrug to let others know you will not be talking.

But even more important, try the slow eating...savor your food, your meal. Not just your breakfast, your lunch, or your dinner. Every food or drink that touches your lips and your mouth. Savor everything you do. Everything you take in. From what you see, what you smell, what you do, what you feel, and you will find what you love in life. You will find about those little things that are so good and that you should be thankful for. 


What type of meditation have you tried?