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Between The Spaces

Jun 03, 2015
by Caroline Miller
Bill Stump, Find Your Inner Calm, meditation, silence between thought
6 Comments

Recently, I shared research that compared the benefits of meditation to other activities that focused the mind.  That research found mediation had no significant advantage over other relaxation techniques, like listening to music.  (Blog 5/7/15)  Despite that report,  I ended the blog on a note of doubt, even though I had no proof for my feelings.  In the April/May edition of AARP Magazine, Bill Stump puts his finger on the heart of the matter. (“Find Your Inner Calm,” by Bill Stump, AARP Magazine, April/May, 2015 pgs 52-54.)

What meditation does for Stump, and for me, is lengthen the space between our thoughts.  The empty spaces are where we confront ourselves without the distraction of reflection.  Confronting ourselves means we have an opportunity to master ourselves. (Ibid 54.)   As a Buddhist monk once said to me, “We are not continents that must suffer the winds and storms of the elements.  We can chose our climate.”

 Finding the silence and holding it for increasing periods of time is the goal of meditation.  Stump’s method is to sit in a chair and take 3 long breaths to induce relaxation.  Next, he gives himself permission to think about anything.  That permission, he observes,  startles his brain into a temporary silence. Then he begins to count his breaths and when an idea creeps in, he notes it then  allows it to float away as he continues his count.

 Stump’s meditation method is not mine.  Many paths are possible.  For me, sitting quietly and waiting for the silence to come works best. When it does, I try to lengthen the interval by observing it, the way I might explore the inside of a black box.  When a thought breaks the silence, I observe it, too, and wait, without judgment, for the next interval to follow. My task is simply to observe.

 Many have written about the benefits of meditation.  As an amateur, I’m not qualified to write with authority.  I only know that in the silences I am not defined by my concepts.  I am in control and free to be an accepting person.   

image of a meditator

Courtesy of www.startupcell.com

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6 Comments
  1. S. L. Stoner June 3, 2015 at 8:40 am Reply
    Some folks, like myself, prefer the moving meditations of Tai Chi and Qigong. They have the additional value of keeping the body limber...though it takes a while to get to the emptiness stage since the movements have to be learned to the point they are automatic such that conscious thought is no longer necessary.
    • Caroline Miller June 3, 2015 at 9:41 am Reply
      Good point. Thank you.
  2. Christine Webb June 3, 2015 at 2:01 pm Reply
    I find it fascinating that simply reading these thoughts about meditation has a soothing effect. Was curious about one thing, though. The author of the AARP article, Bill Stump, uses a technique during his meditation which includes counting his breaths. Wouldn't that in itself be thinking and doing the opposite of what one was trying to accomplish while meditating? If I tried to count my breaths, I know my mind would begin to wander, breathing would take center place and chances are, momentarily, I would even forget to breathe. I would quickly lose count, begin counting in foreign languages, count backwards, and count by 2's instead of waiting quietly for silence. You mentioned there are different paths that can lead one to this quiet space. My favorite part is trying to get there while being gently kind with myself. Really quite uplifting in itself. Visualizing the inside of a black box is most helpful as is watching thoughts from a distance as they float out of view... Am new to this experience of sitting quietly but am enjoying this conscious effort to spend time with myself very much....
    • Caroline Miller June 3, 2015 at 3:38 pm Reply
      Think you've got the idea. Being kind to yourself paves the way to being kind to others. A natural flow.
  3. Judy Farrell June 3, 2015 at 4:57 pm Reply
    Be sure to check out new book: 10% Happier by Ben Harris of Nightline. He's the feller who had a scary life experience wile delivering the national news..possibly related to his fast ad furious lifestyle. This is a book that grabbed me from the very first pages....honest, straightforward. Would be interested in your feedback, Caroline. I had to wait for it a long time through the Mult Co library system.
    • Caroline Miller June 3, 2015 at 8:36 pm Reply
      Thank you for your recommendation. Someone else mentioned this book to me. I'll take a look at it.

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Contact Caroline at

carolinemiller11@yahoo.com

Portland, Oregon author Caroline Miller had distinguished careers as an educator, union president, elected official and artist/advocate.

Her play, Woman on the Scarlet Beast, was performed at the Post5 Theatre, Portland, OR, January/February 2015

Caroline published a serialized novelette, Marie Eau-Claire, on the website, The Colored Lens.  She also published the story Gustav Pavel,  a parable about ordinary lives, choice and alternate potential, on the website Fixional.co.

Caroline has published four novels

  • Ballet Noir
  • Trompe l’Oeil
  • Gothic Spring
  • Heart Land

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