Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Pause? Rest? Realistically ... How?

How often do you take time to pause
or rest through your day?
Sometimes the reaction to this question is
What!?!?  Are you CrAZy!?!
I don't have Time to pause or rest!

In reality, however, we are more effective
when we do intentionally pause
and allow our minds, hearts, and bodies
to momentarily rest.

Gazing into space is one way to pause.
Gazing at an icon 
is a way to spiritually pause and rest.
I like to gaze at an icon like this,
one that has a golden ground 
rather than a background.
The image can seem to float with
unfocused gaze.

One of my favorites is Trinity
by the late 14th century
Russian artist Andrei Rublev.
It is the large open space
around the bowl that allows
my eyes, mind, and soul to rest
in this painting.
The neutral center provides
a visual place of solace
while my peripheral vision
still encompasses the Trinity.

Notice how your heartbeat slows,
your breathing deepens,
and you are momentarily refreshed.
See?  It didn't take long at all!

Let me know how you intentionally
pause or rest.  I love to hear from you!

1 comment:

Cody said...

I like to just sit and listen to the noises around me... birds singing, children laughing and telling stories, airplanes flying by. I also like to sit and journal to clear out my thoughts and then allow myself to just be.
Thanks for reminding me that I need to just sit and be!

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