Silence, an act of love

I have been blogging for a few years now and, while I do love engaging with the internet community, there are times when I need to disconnect, to withdraw from the sharing, to engage in the present. If I have taken anything away from my yoga practice, it is this: the importance of being actively present and of silencing the mind to connect to the moment at hand. That being said, during this last stretch of leaving my blog for the past two months, I gave myself the necessary time to reflect on what I want to focus on.

So, what’s happening and what’s in store? I have been learning to write grants with a community outreach arts organization. I am also juggling a few writing and translation projects, and, after just completing my MFA, I am trying to take things slowly for this summer, giving myself time to breathe before starting a PhD program in the fall.

But, let’s go back to silence, to the actual sensation of not speaking, not making a sound, not being interrupted by thoughts of menial tasks. Imagine a silence that awakens the other senses. A silence that requires us to listen. It’s tough to imagine this kind of silence when we have our mobile devices constantly flashing with texts and updates. Yet, this silence seems to be a rather intricate part of our human experience. We are silent when we need to take something in completely. For example,  I’ve watched people close there eyes at concerts and poetry readings, to silence one of their senses and to better take in the music and words.

This weekend, while in a two hour yoga class that was dedicated to remembering the Boston Marathon, I experienced this kind of silence, a silence that enveloped me completely. The class centered around sending love to the victims and their families through a heart opening practice that ended in a meditation for peace. It was during this meditation that I felt a silence that filled me with love. This silence took me simultaneously inside and outside of myself. Meditation itself, seems to be an act of love. Considering monks who dedicate themselves to meditating alone in obscure caves, they too are dedicating themselves to love.

So, I’ll leave you with this today. Let yourself be silent, let yourself be love.

Gloria