Stillness is the absence of movement and sound. As described, stillness is extremely rare. That is if someone should look for it in humans. Suzanne Clores in her article The Benefits of Quiet for Mind, Body and Spirit writes that, “Doctors, preachers and teachers of most spiritual traditions agree that regular retreats from both outer and inner noise is essential for human health and happiness”. Just the idea, for most people, can calm nerves and slow breathing. Morgan Freeman once said, “Learning how to be still, to be really still and let life happen – that stillness becomes a radiance”. I am going to pass on information on stillness from a variety of experts on the topic, along with going in to detail about benefits and examples. In The …show more content…
This text presents examples of situations where practicing stillness would benefit reactions, patience, self-control and many other factors. Some examples would include things that were morally wrong, or things that would make some people uncomfortable. Those examples showed me a new side of stillness that added just another benefit to being mentally in tune with yourself. An example the book had was a person ran into a situation that is typically uncomfortable, but because the practice of stillness this individual was said to be steadier and in check with himself to make a decision that they would not regret. “As potent as mindfulness may be, it is neither unusual nor mysterious (Claxton, 1997). It may occur staring at the campfire fire or alone on a beach listening to the surf.” Clores mentioned in her article that people seek out stillness in places like lakes, forests, parks, etc. This is because nature has mastered stillness and humans have built on top of it with distractions. Mindfulness, going back to where it all started, how it is meant to …show more content…
Pico Iyer in the book, The Art of Stillness, talks all about stillness and what it is and why it is necessary for the never sleeping world. Iyer traveled all over the world to different places and people just to study stillness, how different people use to certain extents. Some of the people Iyer visit use stillness in different ways. One older man Iyer visited was especially avid believer of stillness. Pretty much separated from the world completely, living in a small cabin. The man talks about how many less problems he has and the patience and thought he has when everyday problems do arise. Iyer was particularly taken back by this experience and did learn a lot from the way the man lived and how he viewed problems as they arose. A quote Iyer has in his text refers to the hustle of everyday lives that a lot of people experience, “It’s almost as if all of us now feel like emergency-room physicians, perpetually on call and obliged to heal ourselves but unable to find our prescriptions amid all the data on our desk”. This quote also relates to a quote above when it talks about always being able to be reached, as if we are on-call physicians. The second part of the text is where Iyer refers to people being their own doctors. It is known that humans should not self-diagnose themselves when it comes to being sick because they obviously do
...distractions. Taking time to observe and analyze the silence can bring something to the surface that could never be confronted in any other way. We need to embrace silence presented throughout life, for we will come out with more definitive, powerful voices.
As psychological field of study advances with its technologies to investigate changes in the mind, using such technology to look at effects of mindfulness meditation would strengthen its argument and understanding of the mechanisms in the brain, to change meditators into the new awaken state. This essay will reveal the evidence of mindfulness meditation making an impact on the mind. First, this essay will present the studies which found physiological functional differences in the body for those who did mindfulness meditation. Second, this essay will present the studies which found functional differences in the brain for those who perform mindfulness meditation. Third, this essay will present the studies which found structural differences in the brain for those who performed mindfulness meditation.
When we sit in silence, we tend to find a moment to reflect what has transpired. Then we regroup and reengage ourselves with what is in front of us
Meditation is an age-old practice that has renewed itself in many different cultures and times. Despite its age, however, there remains a mystery and some ambiguity as to what it is, or even how one performs it. The practice and tradition of meditation dates back thousands of years having appeared in many eastern traditions. Meditation’s ancient roots cloud its origins from being attributed to a sole inventor or religion, though Bon, Hindu, Shinto, Dao, and later, Buddhism are responsible for its development. Its practice has permeated almost all major world religions, but under different names. It has become a practice without borders, influencing millions with its tranquil and healing effects.
As human beings we are very active creatures. It is very rare we sit absolutely still with no movement at all, in fact to do so would be considered strange in most social contexts. These movements are not however sporadic, they are in fact highly controlled, practiced skills. Even when remaining relatively still, for example, to rest or sleep, we have still been taught the required skills to do so, whether it’s how to sit on a chair or lay on a bed, these are very ordinary, everyday techniques that we take for granted and perceive as something natural, but often they are technique’s we have been taught to do.
Concentration and mindfulness are also considered fundamental components in mindfulness meditation. Concentration is the ability to focus on an object be it external or internal, without interruptions. In simple terms, this can be achieved by literally forcing our minds from attaching to any one thought or sensation. Mindfulness is more of a gentle awareness of what is occurring in the present moment. In union, these two techniques allow the self to center in on the true nature of reality. Of course this is no simple task and requires a lot of patience, persistence, consistence, and mental
05 May 2014. Barbor, Cary. " The Science of Meditation.
In order to have tranquility, you need to find a place to be alone where is clam and peaceful. For example, if you want to study for a major test, you would want to be in a place where there is quietness and that you are able to concentrate. According to Seneca, He states “seeking how the mind can follow a smooth and steady course, well disposed to itself, happily regarding its own condition and with no interruption to this pleasure,
Of all the virtues that most men and women disregard, it is silence. People go about in their everyday lives not even noticing the beauty of one's "inner silence." Try an experiment: Close your eyes. Tune out the sounds from everything that's surrounding you, and focus on what is going on inside you. Take a deep breath and just listen. How many inner voices did you hear? Most people do not even realize the amount of noise that is carried around in the human body. As you can see, even in the remarkably noisy age we live in, the real noise is on the inside. But even these noises can dissappear if one wishes. All one needs to do is study one of many religions, such as Buddhism, Christianity, and Judaism. Each of these religions have many techniques for meditation, and their reasons for wanting to find "pure silence" are generally the same.
Hence, what is mindfulness meditation? Mindfulness refers to the state of being attentive to and aware of what is taking place in the present with no judgment. Whereby, meditation is a spiritual and introspective practice involving components of both analysis and concentration as a part of a process of becoming aware of the present surroundings and the mind (Gordon et al., 2013). Meditation can also be defined as the practice of revolving your attention to a single phenomenon, which include focusing on the breathing,
It provides the necessary tools for you to be successful in listening to your inner self and in becoming more aware of the moment you are in without passing judgement on yourself or others. It is not a “one size fits all” book. It offers a variety of tips and techniques that even the worst skeptic of mindfulness may find beneficial. Authors: S.J. Scott & Barrie Davenport have produced this book in an instructive format. Each mindfulness step begins with the reasons why it is important and the benefits one may receive from practicing it.
First, I will present the research of the physical effects that meditation has on our body’s major internal systems and other common physical chronic conditions. Secondly, I will discuss how meditation practices can impact one 's mental and emotional health. Lastly, I will offer a definition of spirituality and how meditation can bring positive spiritual results.
Prior to practicing mindfulness, I would run from place to place and moment to moment. I never took a moment to stop and take in all that surrounds me, because I was always too busy running towards the next big thing and looking for future happiness. Mindfulness was frustrating at the beginning, because for so long I was used to tuning things out and living in the present seemed like a waste of time. Once I began to live in the present it seemed as if I had a “senses awakening.” I was able to live in the present and experience all that life had to offer in the present and it exploded my mind with the beauty surrounding me that I missed. I was able to take in my surroundings through my senses and still my mind, which brought me back to the center. Through this sense of centering and living in the present, a walk from class to class became a time to touch base within my self and come back to the present before the next thing. I learned that stilling my self in the present creates a better me for the future and a happiness in the
Meditation is not a time devoted to thinking or reflecting about oneself, but a time to redirect one’s thoughts and emotions away from the outside world and onto something simple, such as the wind or one’s own breathe. By learning how to meditate, an individual can learn how to react appropriately to “the circumstances one finds oneself in, i...
The google definition of silence is the complete absence of sound. I think that the meaning of silence is much more than we realise. Although silence is a small and not obvious action it can tell a lot about one’s feelings and personality. Some people don’t know silence well enough and some know silence too much.