I am taking advantage of the fog, wind, and cold to stay inside and tuck into books. I just finished reading Waking by Matthew Sanford. It is written by a man who was paralyzed from the chest down when he was 13. He writes his journey through the study of philosophy to now being a teacher of yoga at a non-profit he set up in Minneapolis. He understands and works with the mind-body connection. He begins the book with these words of Aristotle: "Hope is the dream of a waking man."
He speaks of silence. He writes:
Silence is the word I use to describe the empty presence we experience within our experience - between our thoughts, between each other, between ourselves and the world. We feel the silence when we daydream, when we appreciate the beauty of a sunset, or when the love of our life truly walks away. It is an inward sense, often experienced as a longing or an ache. It is a feeling of emptiness and fullness at the same time. The silence is the aspect of our consciousness that makes us feel slightly heavy. It is the source of the feeling of loss, but also of a sense of awe."
I am happy to be back to reading. I had not been able to read much lately, and I think that was because I was going through another layer of releasing the trauma of last year. Now, today, I use books to heal, and find my way through some real beauties.
I recommend: A Slant of Sun by Beth Kephart.
Pavement by Lin Jensen.
Waking by Matthew Sanford.