Let's get used to being quiet

A car just came down the hill behind the house, went along the lane behind us, across the bridge, and up the hill towards the village.
 
Cars round here get noticed, as do tractors and milk trucks. They don't happen very often. The quiet between the the occasional traffic stands out, and when it is broken, it feels like an event, a bit exciting.
 
The herons and buzzards also take up some of the quiet space. And the baby birds can make an absolute riot which is again, quite exciting. Things are happening.
 
 
Quiet takes getting used to

Most of us aren't used to it. 
 We live with noise, with constant movement, busy-ness, distraction, things to do.
 We think quiet is nothing.
 An absence of things, and that we should fill the space with something. 
 Quiet and stillness often feel uncomfortable because of the unfamiliarity.
 
 
We resist experiencing it
 
We think we can't do it, that we aren't any good at being quiet, that being still is hard. We prefer to put a podcast on instead (I love podcasts), or fit in another quick job because we have been gifted a bit of space. 


Being busy = being of value
 
Our culture doesn't value it. It is far better to be busy and productive, be good at doing things, rather than being good at doing, well, nothing. 
 
The spaces and opportunities to do nothing, to rest in peace and quiet, are a rare gift.
 
To fill them with something is to miss them. 
 
 
The pauses are the fruit of the 'doing'
 
The absence is the nectar of the busy effort that led us to the pause.
 
The clearing in the woods.
 
These pauses and moments of quiet and stillness are the fruit of our yoga.
 
The movements, the postures, the focusing of the mind and breathing lead us to a quieter space.
 
A body that is more at ease, has less discomfort, and feels more spacious.
 
A breath that is settled and harmonious, in rhythm with a more natural state.
 
A mind that is tolerant of all that arises and relaxed in it's own company.
 

Peace, joy and harmony await

Yoga helps us to get comfortable and familiar with this. To land here. Beyond the day-to-day, in the elusive present where peace, joy and harmony await.
 
Enjoy