The Mindfulness Blog

I'm not a big Barbra Streisand fan but give her, her due-- the song she sang in the play, Funny Girl, is pretty amazing. Particularly, if you're a people person.

Which got me thinking about people, and how we connect with each other-- conversationally, sartorially, sexually-- you name it. And all that got me thinking (somewhat counterintuitively) about meditation. Specifically, group meditation.

Whether it's a group meditation that is led by another, or a group meditation that's self-guided, internal and silent-- meditation is intensely personal. And it's amazingly communal, when it's practiced with others. When else might we find a 20 or 30-year-old woman of color, sitting next to a 60 or 70-year-old white man-- with eyes closed, saying nothing?

Sometimes, saying nothing is more impactful than saying something-- anything. Silence (according to the wisdom we've all heard), is golden. We've all heard that countless times, but how often have we really thought about it?

Whatever the subject, and no matter how informed we may be about a particular matter, a moment of silence-- before we respond, in the middle of our response, or at the end-- will always serve us in making our point.

People (even people who need people) almost always respond to silence-- especially when they're silent together.