A deep bow of gratitude again to everyone who participated in last week’s Photo Party. I was so moved by the visual expressions of silence I decided to create a short visual meditation.
First, my apologies that I couldn’t include everyone’s photos. There were so many amazing ones. I wanted the video to be under five minutes and have long enough to linger on each image so as to have a contemplative feeling to it, therefore I was limited in the number. I will be doing this again, so know that I hope to include more of you in the future. I chose images that went along with the Thomas Merton quote I include in the video.
I am grateful as always to Trish Bruxvoort Colligan of River’s Voice for allowing me to include her music as the container. You can also choose to view the meditation without the sound, in silence, if that calls to you. You might try it both ways and see which shimmers for you more strongly.
Consider stopping right now for a holy pause. Turn off the phone ringer and the email notifications, close your door. Perhaps you want to pour a cup of tea.
Close your eyes and take three long, slow, and deep breaths. Let your thoughts settle and your awareness move down into your heart center.
Then give yourself the gift of five minutes to receive this visual prayer created in collaboration with members of the Abbey community . . .
Monk in the World Meditation Silence from Christine Valters Paintner
If you feel a longing for silence kindled in you, how might you find a way to seek more silent moments in your daily life? Is it time to schedule a retreat day away to a nearby monastery, to dip back into the deep source, whose language is silence?
Let me seek, then, the gift of silence, and poverty, and solitude,
where everything I touch is turned into prayer: where the sky is my
prayer, the birds are my prayer, the wind in the trees is my prayer, for
God is in all. –Thomas Merton, Thoughts in Solitude
Music: “Anam Cara” by Trish Bruxvoort Colligan
Photo Credits:* (in order of appearance):
Rebecca Sylvan
Brent Bill
Pat Butler
Roy Petitfils
Amy E Thompson – Whispering Tree Studio
Bo Mackison – Seeded Earth
Judith Alkema
Alizabeth Rasmussen – Faith Squared
Sheila Jones – Tea and Toast
Louise Gallagher – A Year of Making a Difference
Joanna Paterson
Laura Simmons
Christine Valters Paintner – Abbey of the Arts
Anneclaire LeRoyer
Susan Jeffers
Helen Druett
Beth Scuphm
Amy Morrison
Deborah Hansen
Eva Verhoeven – SubImages
Jason Jones
Anne Buck
Margaret Abraham – Free the Creative Spirit
*Copyright for each image is retained by the photographer. Please contact him or her for further permission to reuse.
15 Responses
What a gift! Thank you…this was just what I needed
after a stressful day to remind me of the glorious presence
all around me.
What a beautiful way into a moment of silence! Thank you!
Thank you so much dear monks and friends! I am really heartened by your response. What an amazing community this is.
I needed a sense of community after feeling alone today. Thank you for this gift and for your wise words earlier about “opposites.”