BEYOND the cushion: Seeking Spaces to SIT STILL
Those of you that have read my work for any length of time know that I'm engaged in a life-long journey of; as the title of my blog puts it, cultivating mental silence. Each post I write and share with you, the reader, (regardless of the topic), is a step, that I hope, over time, provides me opportunities to do just that, culivate some mental silence. I'm constantly on the lookout for something to read, test out, or just sit and think about that will in turn, bring me back to my writing, to further process, where if at all, this new thinking belongs in my daily life.
Spending this summer immersing myself in all things Cal Newport has been fun. Through this immersion I have read and tested out some very interesting things that may find their way into my daily life, both professionally and personally. I've even contemplated giving myself more space to practice something Cal has written about in his book, Digitial Minimalism (chapter 4 to be specific) and, more recently, in his weekly newsletter via a brief connection he's made between his own thinking and some current research coming out of Germany.
In his newsletter, he shared some information from a paper that was published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology and an article he read in The Guardian which refers to the journal piece that validates some of his thinking regarding the benefits of solitude. Regarding the topic of solitude, the author of The Guardian article, Kate Connolly writes that, "...despite being the only species capable of sitting still and thinking to themselves, humans are generally reluctant to make use of this talent."
It has taken my recent digital decluttering of the number of podcasts I listen to, from 24 to 10, to realize that I need to make better use of this talent we have. It's been about three weeks since that decluttering took place and I can honestly say that...
I do not miss any of the content (or voices) from the 14 podcasts I deleted from my queue.
Without that extra content in my mind I have been less anxious (I actually realized that I was getting anxious about how to find time to listen to 24 podcasts in a week) and,
The decluttering has provided me space to find more time to sit still. For example, three weeks ago I was listening to podcasts for an average of 24 hours per week. This passed week I spent about 8 hours listening to podcasts.
These moments of sitting still or pauses are, as Connolly writes, "...[an] underrated activity that is more rewarding the more it is practised." I can attest to this with a short testimonial.
In the three weeks that I've lessened the amount of podcasting listening I engage in, during the times I have sat and let my mind wander, I have thought about spaces in which I could further practice this concept of sitting still other than sitting on my meditation cushion or just sitting in our living room.
One space that really lends itself well to sitting still is the automobile. Yes, you are traveling at moderate to high speeds while in the automobile however, the radio does not always have to be on. It is that realization that has led me to start traveling 1/2 silent while in my car. Case in point, the other day I went to my school to start setting up my classroom for the coming school year. That trip is about 15 minutes one way. I decided to drive to school silent and back home with the radio on. I found that 15 minute silent drive very calming; more so than if I had the radio on set to my favorite channel, definitely more calming than if I were listening to a podcast. As my mind was wandering during this silent drive I started thinking about other opportunities to do just this, drive silently. It was actually kind of fun thinking about future moments I'd be in the car to try this out. As I referred to above, this isn't the only space though that I am trying to sit still.
Some of you know that I mediate. I've meditated, on and off for almost 30 years. I used to belong to a Tai Chi school where I meditated regularly. After leaving the school to pursue my PhD I continued to meditate at home and have continued to practice just about very day. The meditating I've been doing lately has leaned more towards guided meditations via the Apple Fitness+ app and my "go to" meditation app, Insight Timer. Thinking more and more about finding more time to just sit still has made me think about moving away from guided meditations. One step away from guided meditations, towards literally just sitting still is meditating with music playing in the background. The Insight Timer app has plenty of soothing, chill music to become the soundtrack, if you will allow it, for time spent sitting still. I want to continue experimenting with the music as I make my way back to just sitting still, alone, on my cushion, with my thoughts.
Finally, Connolly reminds us that, "...losing yourself in your thoughts can... contribute to a sense of self-worth." I have written elsewhere, on this blog, about how my work as a school teacher, during the pandemic, has taken its toll on me, with regards to my self-worth. I meditated during lock down and as we transitioned back to "in school" learning and cannot imagine what I'd be like if I didn't. It is my thinking that one way to find self-worth is to become vulnerable to yourself. One way to become vulnerable to yourself is to; sit still, alone, with your thoughts. Just as I did a digital decluttering of the podcasts I consume I feel a concurrent mental decluttering which can be accomplished via sitting still; necessary.
