7 Secrets 9 Days of Silence Taught Me
Every two years I do something different....very different.
I spend 9 days practicing mindfulness...
IN SILENCE.
No non-essential talking.
No music.
This is my mindfulness retreat...
and it is an integral part of my Self-Care.
Now I should say that my mind did not STOP thinking.
(In fact, somedays I thought it was racing faster than ever!).
But over the course of a week and a half I noticed more.
A lot more.
And I'd like to share some of the nuggets of wisdom I caught.
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I rely on structures in my life...and this type of structured retreat is a favorite form of vacation for me.
I don't do this experience by myself. I retreat into silence and mindfulness with others.
We shared long periods of silence...
sitting
walking
eating
learning about ourselves.
These were interspersed with teachings on some timely themes (loving kindness, compassion, empathetic joy, equanimity, etc.) and short checkins with the retreat leaders.
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A serious commitment to Self-Care can be so difficult.
Especially when you are a parent.
Especially in our culture that defines people by their productivity.
I too have a hard time slowing down.
So it takes a little bit of structure for me to be able to relax into a regular Self-Care routine.
In my daily life this means a few touch points throughout the day:
-a first-thing-in-the-morning walk
-after lunch mindfulness time
-reading a book for 15 minutes
Etc.
And for that 9-day retreat I quietly slowed down...
...and my mind became more still...
and these...
7 Secrets about Self-Care
....bubbled up in me:
1. Slowing down can allow you to work harder. And deeper.
2. We are all stressed. How we respond makes all the difference.
3. A week without listening to music can actually be relaxing.
4. Practice what you preach. (I must practice the same tools I teach to teens and families.)
5. When we’re not doing our "Reactions", we have more good choices.
6. Meditation is not about how many breaths you can count but about how gentle you can be when your thoughts drift away from your breath.
7. One good question is more useful than many more answers.
Peace,
Sean P
Sean Potts
Teen Coach for Parenting Modern Teens
Click HERE to schedule a "Teen Coaching" or "Parent Coaching" session with Sean Potts or another PMT Coach.
Click HERE to read Sean Pott's article, "Four Tips to Make Your Self-Care Great".
PHOTO CREDITS from Unsplash.com
Log Cabin - Owen Wassell - @owen_was
Thinking Man - Ben White - @benwhitephotography
Sunrise - Cynthia Magana - @cynthmag
Teens Journaling - Alexis Brown - @alexisrbrown
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