Got a Minute   

I was eves-dropping the other day, letting the sounds drift past and I found myself responding to the voices. One voice had. a lulling effect, one was prodding, intrusive another voice jangled discordantly. Now I know that speech has power, that sound can kill or heal, or shatter glass; and I know also that we need to watch what we say, but this chitchat physically affected me. I could feel the impact of these free floating words on my body and on my emotions. Even when I blocked my ears the vibrations were still there. I was trapped on a building influenced and bombarded against my will. So thinking about words and how they serve or damage us gave me the idea for this column.

There is a yoga pathway to enlightenment called Mantra Yoga which means ' Union through Speech and the Science of Sound'. This pathway teaches not only the power of the word to create or destroy but also The power of silence, mantra, prayer and healing. Seeing as how speech is essential to us all and yet is one of the most over used and abused mediums today I have decided to work on this for myself and maybe you would like to share this with me. If so, begin to observe your speech. Are you saying what you mean to say? Are you unable to put thoughts into words without using excessive words to get it out and then find that you have lost the original track? Are you talking? to much, over using the voice and draining your vital, creative energy?

Do you find yourself talking about an idea or a plan and then not going ahead because the energy was spent in words'? Do your words heal or hurt, create or destroy? Or, do your words control you. If so, try silence. Make a personal promise to enjoy five minutes, silence every day. Five minutes where there is no speech, sound or pre-meditated thought. This five. minutes will begin to train your mind to be still and stop the distractions of uncontrolled thinking, plus make it easier to say what you mean to say with power.

Clarys