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In her book “Seven Sacred Pauses: Living Mindfully Throughout the Hours of the Day,” spiritual teacher Macrina Wiederkehr writes:
The mystical possibilities are revealed to us in our intentional pauses. … If we practice living mindfully, we slowly begin to see the holiness of so many things that remain hidden when we choose to rush through the hours, striking tasks from the list of things we must accomplish before day’s end. It will be a happy moment when we remember to add the wise act of pausing to our to-do list.
During my break in August, I was able to take many pauses and reflect a little on the big picture. I was amazed at how much better I felt when I made a conscious effort to stop all my activity and be still. Problems didn’t grow and leap out of the proper context when I forced myself to put down my to-do list and to concentrate on my breathing. I didn’t get my priorities as confused when I quieted my thoughts for a period of time and listened to nothing else but birds and the water hitting the rocks.
I took the time to read some of my favorite spiritual authors, like Thomas Merton, Henri Nouwen, and Mother Teresa, and I was further inspired by their words. Their meditations served to further ground me in the truth, the spiritual laws that are so opposite of what the world tells us what we need to be happy.
I wanted to make sure I continued to pause and to read the spiritual masters during the year, so I thought I’d devote each Monday to this notion of “mindfulness,” the practice of pausing in order to get in touch with the soul. I’ll discuss a certain scripture passage, like I did in my “Dear God” posts or a reflection from a wise, contemplative teacher, like Gandhi or Therese of Lisieux.
I hope our Mindful Mondays will help you to pause during your week, too, in order to grab a bit of peace to get you to Friday.
To read more Beyond Blue, go to www.beliefnet.com/beyondblue, and to get to Group Beyond Blue, a support group at Beliefnet Community, click here.
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Therese J. Borchard writes the daily blog, Beyond Blue, on Beliefnet and is a regular contributor to the award-winning blog, World of Psychology, on Psych Central. Therese is the author of Beyond Blue: Surviving Depression & Anxiety and Making the Most of Bad Genes and The Pocket Therapist: An Emotional Survival Kit. Subscribe to Beyond Blue, visit her website, or follow her on Twitter @thereseborchard.
Meet others on the journey in
Therese’s community group
Ask Therese to be your friend
Therese J. Borchard writes the daily blog, Beyond Blue, on Beliefnet and is a regular contributor to the award-winning blog, World of Psychology, on Psych Central. Therese is the author of Beyond Blue: Surviving Depression & Anxiety and Making the Most of Bad Genes and The Pocket Therapist: An Emotional Survival Kit. Subscribe to Beyond Blue, visit her website, or follow her on Twitter @thereseborchard.
posted September 15, 2008 at 1:57 pm
Wow, i feel like my life has been on pause for a decade, and after numerous watchings of Joel Osteen this weekend, and practiciing “taking a moment” and to “listening” to the quiet, to collect myself and my thoughts, what you say today really hit home. I was searching to try to tell Doreen Virtue thank you for writing “Angel Numbers 101″, because during the last decade, I’ve been praying profusely that I will be lead to my path, and have sense enough to follow…and her book is like the translator I’ve needed for years, and has ended up putting my mind at ease, and quieting the restlessness felt in my heart. Then I read your passage today, and feel again, affirmed. Thanks, Ace!! Have a wonderful rest of September!
Godspeed, G. >^.,.^
posted September 15, 2008 at 2:53 pm
I have an anxiety disorder, which makes it nearly impossible to sit still or to still my mind. There is constant movement, either physically, mentally, or both. Just this AM, I was telling my wife that it really stinks when you can’t enjoy peace and quiet.
posted September 16, 2008 at 12:07 am
Loveliest of all the flowers of the field is the Now of Mindfulness.
posted September 16, 2008 at 6:26 am
All paths lead to the top of the mountain and once we get there, we all see the same Moon. ~ Zen
posted September 16, 2008 at 7:31 am
THERES NOTHING BETTER THAN TO SIT BACK AND IF YOU DO NOTHING ELSE BUT ENJOY JUST SOME OF THE BEAUTIFUL THINGS GOD CREATED, THIS IS VERY SOOTHING TO DO THIS AND IT HELPS YOU TO REFLECT ON LIFE
posted September 16, 2008 at 9:38 am
For me, watching my grandchildren and a great grand-daughter is a real joy and they show all of us how to play hard and relax just as they can after a day of play and fun. Really watch them and you will find real joy in the simple things, like a pretty leaf or a squirmy worm!
Real relaxation is watching the joy of little things, things we would take advantage of without realizing it all comes from the Lord.
Mi Mi
(shortened from Grammie)
posted September 16, 2008 at 10:45 am
Thank you for this, Therese. It confimrs something I “heard” from God at a writers’ workshop I went to last Saturday. I haven’t participated here or on the boards lately because I’ve had a need to “get away” and reset my boundaries.
Don’t ever wonder about the value of what you do or who you are, dear sister. God is using you in amazing ways.
posted September 17, 2008 at 12:28 am
It’s most interesting that this particular topic came up today. Amidst a busy afternoon, I stopped to listen and re-listen to what might very well be called a sad song by Patsy Cline. The song “Someday You’ll Want Me To Want You” was a sort of “theme” sone to my mother during some really tough times many years ago. As I listened to it I felt a curious sensation of sadness and understanding all of a sudden, for the pain of my mother over fifty years ago. I suddenly felt her pain, my own and now my daughters, but I also felt a release in some way. There were tears, but not only of saddness, but of a sort of lifting of an intangible weight from my body. Sadness, understanding, release, a beginning of forgiveness for some of the people involved, some not yet ready to let go of. If I had not taken that momentous pause, what I would have missed?! Hope this makes sense to someone.
Thanks Theresa and Beliefnet
posted September 18, 2008 at 6:39 am
It is indeed wonderful to reflect on the wonders of God’s creation, but let’s realize that it came into existence by only one God-the father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Word Incarnate, and by the power of His Holy Spirit.