What could you find out about yourself through solitude. . .
“Loneliness is the poverty of self; Solitude is the richness of self.” – May Starton
Definition of Solitude: The quality or state of being alone or remote from society.
Studies have shown that people who learn to find comfort in solitude tend to be happier, experience lower levels of stress, and are less likely to have depression.
We’ve been conditioned to believe that solitude is our enemy. We’ve also confused “being alone” with “being lonely”, but that’s not the case..
Exercise:
Find some time in your week to dedicate to creating solitude. You choose, where, when, and for how long: 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 45 minutes, 1 hour, 3 hours, 1 week. The choice is yours.
In this time that you have intentionally chosen solitude you will:
1. Set an intention: What do you want to accomplish from this time in solitude.
2. You will avoid any distractions, no phone, no music, no YouTube, no reading, no journaling, no emails, etc. If possible, include no eye contact even. You with YOU!
3. This is not meditation. Though it can feel meditative, it is not a meditation practice. This is you learning to get comfortable with YOU. (though, eventually you may want to add meditation to your solitude practice).
4. Sit in the silence for the duration of time you have selected. If you do not currently have a practice of solitude this will likely feel hard. Start slow and increase over time.
5. Repeat at least 3 times this week.
6. Repeat for 30 days.
7. Journal about your experience in solitude. Especially on day 1 and day 30.
** You may find it easier to sit in solitude in a place visually pleasant. A park, the beach, etc.
As always, consider sharing with the group what has opened up as you complete the exercise.
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