At
Kripalu, breakfasts in the main dining room are silent, something I haven’t
experienced since my seminary days 50-some years ago, and so far the silence
has been not only bearable, but thoroughly enjoyable. It’s given me the chance
to choose what thoughts to think, to slowly select something to consider as I
eat instead of dashing madly among thoughts as they stampede through me. My
mind is usually a crazy place in the morning, and the silence here has allowed
me to sort my early thoughts out, to set them apart and see them clearly with
my coffee, tofu, and toast. It has made the meal more like a trouble-free
reflection than a quick gulping down and getting on with the day. It’s also
been inspiring to see so many people sitting silently with their food, eating
with thoughtfulness and perhaps understanding. In a world widely shaken by the
noise of misfortune, here are people taking pleasure in silence, eating and
drinking with silent delight. Here is a morning meal made of stillness and appreciation.
Written at The Kripalu
Center for Yoga and Health,
with Delycia for R+R
July 3, 2013
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