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“Mind Over Matter”: Not What You Think It Means
Listen to the silence.
I’ll admit it: Whenever a leader in a house of worship allows a stretch of time for silent prayer, more often than not I can barely concentrate. I start to pray about something but within seconds, I’m off thinking about chores, deadlines, dinner, TV, or a dozen other things.
What I really want to do is listen — to be really quiet, to hear what God — Infinite Good, Love, Truth, Spirit — is telling me. But instead, so often I just end up distracted. Or whining.
Why do we so easily get caught up in trivialities? Why is listening to the silence so difficult? What can we do to cultivate peace, serenity, and balance? I find that I need a lot of alone time to get myself centered. Some people might call this tapping into the mind-body-spirit connection. We meditate, do yoga, or some other form of exercise. Hiking in nature might be what works for you.
“Listen to the silence / Feel your heart’s alliance / Close your eyes / Breathe in the empty space / Welcome home to the sweet state of grace.” — Johnny Elkins
Most people who believe in or at least observe the effectiveness of the mind-body-spirit connection often throw around the phrase “mind over matter” to refer to the influence the human mind can have upon the body to heal…
