The days grow ever shorter, and daylight grows ever briefer. For anyone with the slightest case of seasonal affective disorder, the elongated periods of darkness can wreak havoc with our usually-cheery dispositions. The holidays often offer a period of light, coming in tandem with the shortest days of the year, but even they can be tinged with melancholy and sadness. To offset all of that, I dive deeper into my meditation practice, focusing on clearing the mind and finding longer periods in which the body and mind may become accustomed to quiet and peace. The longer we practice, the easier it is to find such a state when we really need it.
For those who may be madly uncomfortable at the idea of total silence during a meditation practice, here is a brief video of some Tibetan singing bowls. It offers some gentle ‘noise’ to make the discomfort of complete silence easier to abide. Personally I prefer the total quiet where all I can hear is the breath. Either way, whatever form of meditation you may employ is better than no meditation at all.
