It’s amazing what can come up and out when Life energy is given space to move. The simple act of journaling can take on all kinds of roles during a period of silent contemplation: an understanding friend willing to hear all your struggles, a blank canvas for doodles, a dreaded chore or an exciting new possibility… all it takes is the willingness to put pen to paper and see what flows. Or what doesn’t.
Either way, an encouragement to journal is bound to trigger self-understanding in one way or another.
Perhaps there is a strong resistence or “this is stupid” attitude? Maybe you sit to write and nothing comes. Do you write in a way that presumes someone else might read it, or are you untouched by self-consciousness?
Conversely, out pops a poem or two that you never thought possible. And you see for yourself some stuck thought(s) come loose because you expressed it in writing. What a relief!
When the mind and body are allowed to slow down, granted space and time to do nothing (with little distraction, nowhere to be, nothing to sort out), it’s no wonder “hidden” qualities rise to the surface into our notice.
It begs the question: Are we addicted to trying?
Good or bad, agreeable or disagreeable, silence and meditation offer a chance to observe in a peaceful manner – no judgement, no need to fix or change what is occurring in this very moment. Rather than react, you witness.
Journaling then, is a supportive tool for your inner journey to the Self. Unlike with talking, your journal will never answer back, offer advice or interrupt. It doesn’t care if you scribble out a sentence several times or take two hours to spit it out.
Granting yourself time at a Silent IAM Meditation Retreat is a wonderful gift to give one’s Self. The long periods of silence and meditation support not only each other, but also an opportunity to journal.
Simply notice the increase of spaciousness and clarity when external conditions quieten and you rest in Being. What, if anything, does that inspire you to write?
See it as a curious interaction with yourself – there are no rules and no right or wrong. It’s a space where you can get raw, honest and vulnerable, and express unapologetically in your own unique way.
Use the blank pages for self-understanding, self-love and creativity. What have you got to lose when only you are granted the pleasure of reading?
Read: Experiencing Life more Lucidly through Silent Meditation
Journaling is encouraged whilst attending a retreat at Tushita Mystery School, and is seen as particularly supportive to multi-day Silent IAM Meditation Retreats. Here we answer common questions about meditation.
Find all upcoming retreats for 2023 here.
Who wrote this piece? Tushita Mystery School blogs are written by a number of Students at the Tushita Hermitage. Their anonymity supports their self-forgetting practice.
