Noisy Contemplation
In the book, Listening for the Soul by Jean Stairs, she has a section on "noisy contemplation" (pg. 51), which I found very interesting. She describes how in the midst of our daily lives we can practice noisy contemplation by simply being mindful that, in spite of the "noise" that surrounds our lives, there are moments where we can stop to connect to Spirit. I found this fascinating on several levels. First, it is something I have practiced for many years without having a name for what I was doing. Second, she pointed out that this act of mindfulness is the embodiment of the word, Namaste . Namaste is Sanskrit , meaning, "I bow to thee." By using this word, which has become popularized through yoga, what we are saying to another is, "I recognize the Divine in you." Noisy contemplation is recognizing the Divine in another or in a situation without being sucked into the vortex of noise and confusion. For example, imagine you are walking...