By Dr. Jane Guttman
“I never found the companion that was so companionable as solitude. “ ~ Thoreau
Spend some time with one of the most amazing beings ever. You. Visit the chamber of compassion and peace and love and grace and sweet calm. Travel to the archives of memories, to the visions you hold, to the gifts you bestow, to the snowy plains as they edge toward the wildflowers of spring. Find your voice in the silence and in song.
Science gives some big benefits of solitude. The one that boldly calls to us is the empathy that arises from time spent alone. Amy Morin, psychotherapist and international mental wellness mentor describes the empathy that follows the path of solitude. She also references the great value to our mental health. Time with self fosters renewal of all infinite resources. Stress reduction results. Ms. Morin believes that depression is reduced from solo time.
In 1978 I visited Walden Pond. Enthralled, enlightened and eager to commune with the spirit of solitude so devotedly given by Thoreau to the earth and the sky there, I gathered the essence of that gorgeous setting and deepened my love of solitude. The companionship of solitude has been one of my dearest kin for over a half century. As a young mother, I awakened two hours each day before my children awoke for the day. I used the time for writing, for reflecting and for enjoying the pre-dawn silence as the world slept and I found deep peace.
How is solitude a companion? In that place of you, a deep romance can be birthed. This is our chance to more deeply discover who we are and who we may become. It is our time to revel in the resplendence of our own hearts and our own spirits. We have glimpses of ourselves and can recognize that the journey of our life begins and ends with us. We are a true, evolving, gracious and extraordinary companion. A holy oneness emerges in which we find the vast wonders of the being that bears our name.
Time with self does not take away from loved ones. Nor from our life goals, responsibilities or recreation. It is in itself a goal, responsibility and recreation of the highest measure. Solo time fills us. We move to the brim of our unveiled creativity and our timeless hopes to live our lives to the very fullest.
Teach your children and grandchildren to love alone time. As a lifelong teacher, I have always brought this value to my students. Let all of your dear ones know that time spent with self is heart and soul medicine. There is no pill or therapy that can match the power of being with you in all the varied moods that find you. Dark moods can dissolve in the solace of solitude,
A very dear friend and teacher, Sharon Chappell, does silly dancing. Steps form and movement moves in the sweet space of solitude. Each step carries her to the fortress where all of her resources reside. She extracts what is needed for any given day or task and then, dances once again, to restore and renew…saying goodbye to cancer and hello to life. The Ayurvedic master, Maya Tiwari, went into seclusion for six months and emerged cancer-free after being sent home to die by western physicians. Both finding the power of aloneness for healing.
Even a few minutes will give benefit. Then add time. Take a day or a night, a retreat into inner harmony. An increase of creative pursuit, time to unwind, time to explore your thoughts and feelings and to awaken a new gift that belongs to only you…all waiting as you build a place in your life for solitude.
A visit to Walden Pond is on my bucket list. I may get there, though I am not a frequent flyer. Gratefully I visit that glorious, sacred ground in image, where trees stand as home to the magnificent gathering of birds, singing to the glory of morning, and hold its essence in heart and memory. Solitude is a chamber of compassion, peace, solace, wisdom and grace…the most natural medicine on earth. Solitude can be seen as a gracious seclusion. A momentary trip into peace, quiet, silence, and a reclusive intermission to the busy days and nights of life. It is a chosen aloneness that is not lonely. It is privacy without confinement. It is an exodus to replenish… A retreat of and for self. For you.
Dr. Jane, I love your insight, and I love this article. Thank you.