SILENCE of the soul.
Turn away from the maddening crowd, tune off angry “sampalan” (slapping) telenovelas, gently soar in the calm air of simplicity, solitude and serenity.
Yeah! You and I are comforted by the winds of relaxation. Welcome moments of quieting down in your daily rhythm. Soothe your aching hearts with ylang ylang blossom scents. Gaze at the blue azure January skies to let go of stressors.
Twenty to 30 minutes of quietness will wonderfully open your spirit of calmness. Offsetting worrisome, wanton and wearisome blare of screeching cars, high-pitched shouts of ‘diario bote’ street hawkers and static sounds of nonsense chatter, truly, uncover your breakaway hour from hullabaloo and pandemonium.
Wherever you may be, find a comfortable position. Seek out a corner space in your home, sit awhile in the green/verdant garden in your neighborhood, or stay in the sedate chair in your town or Angeles City library. Throw away your fearful and dark memories.
Breathe in, breathe out. You may close your eyes. Choose a word, line or phrase that inspires you. Repeat it soundlessly. For a Kapampangan, you may opt for the term ‘lugud’ (love). For a Hawaiian you may utter’ aloha’ (peace). If you are Jewish, you may utter ‘shalom’ (peace). What matters most is that you flow in the language of soothing energy.
Repeat your ‘lugud’ expression silently while exhaling. Once distracting thoughts appear, choose to return to the word “lugud”. After 15 to 20 minutes have passed, open your eyes and continue to dwell on the positive vibes surrounding you.
Cheerio to you for producing your personal harmony time.
Benson factor
Recommending this healing way of spending minutes of ‘silencio’ is the famous Dr. Herbert Benson. Father of the mind-body medicine, Dr. Benson with his team at the Harvard Medical School advocated for this technique- relaxation response. They underscored this idea in books:
“Relaxation not only feels good but can help us break out from negative thoughts pattern. It opens the door to different kinds of peak experiences – self-awareness, creativity and rejuvenation.
Physically, your body is releasing extra amounts of nitric oxide, along with neurotransmitters associated with feelings of well-being and protection from stress.”
“The relaxation response is a physical state of deep rest that changes the physical and emotional responses to stress... and the opposite of the fight or flight response."
Yes, together with our sisters/brothers from the four corners of the globe, let us treat ourselves to the quality time of silence.
Thank You
Zooming in on a different topic, I wish to say mahalo (Hawaiian) or gracias to all our readers for sending us their comments and suggestions.
Specially to Collette Pangilinan who makes my day happy by texting her kind words from Angeles City. She is a benevolent and veracious reader. Dacal a salamat also to Father Sol Gabriel for lighting up my writer’s world with motivational and spiritual delightful imprint.
Today, may all of you enjoy a heartwarming Sunday sprinkled with minutes of unforgettable ‘silencio’.