The benefits of meditation have become a huge topic lately, with proponents reporting astounding results and entire new movements which encourage people to sit in silence and try not to think!

Even as I describe that, it feels strange. “Sit in silence and try not to think.”

I recently went on a retreat where the greater part of the day, one spent in silence. The quiet time actually allowed me to reflect and I returned with a new surge of energy and drive.

Unfortunately, it seems many these days are doing too much of the “passing time” and too little in the way of silent communion with self and with God.

We live in an unforgivingly loud and distracting world, where we wake up to clock alarms and spend the rest of the day on someone else’s schedule.

We spend hours on cellphones, computers and tablets, dare I say, watching too much television without considering how much damage this “screen time” can cause, not just for us but for our children, who can suffer from sensory overload, lack of quality sleep and a nervous system which is overstimulated.

It is clear we are finding it harder and harder to find time for the quieter moments in life, being consumed by things that do not serve us. Forgetting to “be still and know that He is God”.

We are missing out because we tend to do too much and “be” too little. There is something unfortunate about the fact that those of us who are most productive are often unable to sit still. The one thing we can’t do, is to “just be”.

Franz Kafka says, “Remain silent at your table and listen. Don’t even listen, simply wait, be quiet, still and solitary. The world will freely offer itself to YOU to be unmasked, it has no choice, it will roll in ecstasy at your feet.”

In my weekly column, among other topics, I aim to share what I have learned in the pursuit of wellness, raising my level of consciousness and awareness.

Meditation is one such discipline I practice. I challenge you to take 10 minutes of each day to sit with no external stimulation. Just be with yourself and listen to the sound of your heart as it beats.

Marvel at the miracle of this very beating, because it is part of the miracle of God’s design. Feel the tips of your fingers touch, close your eyes and reconnect with self.

The art of removing yourself from the external world is free, empowering and wonderful!