Earlier this month, we organised a group silence for men at Wymondham Abbey. This was not a religious experience, nor was there any requirement or guidance to meditate. It was simply an opportunity to sit together in silence, thinking, feeling, observing – or not – in the grounds of one of East Anglia’s grandest religious buildings, and then reflect upon and discuss the experience afterwards.
Why sit in silence, you may ask? The list of benefits is long and includes lowering blood pressure, boosting the immune system and improvement in mood states, learning and productivity.
About half of the participants had experience of meditation and the others had little or none. For Russell, this was a completely new experience and he has generously shared his thoughts about it with us:
“Having struggled with problematic mental health for too long I am conscious that my circumstances will only really change if I also do. I’d only previously attended one MensCraft Pit Stop, but liked what I experienced and therefore I threw caution to the wind and booked my place for the “Hour of Silence” at Wymondham Abbey. I was lucky enough to be offered a lift by Colin, Norwich Pit Stop Coordinator and organiser of the event, and as we travelled from Norwich I was gifted with a wonderful conversation about MensCraft.
“The evening’s weather could not have been better. On arrival at the Abbey, Colin generously shared his knowledge about the building, filling in copious gaps in my knowledge regarding the the dissolution of the monasteries. Upon arrival, those of us attending shared warm salutations and friendly introductions and were very soon to be found seated in a line facing the Abbey’s adjacent meadow. Quite beautifully, Colin marked the commencement and ending of the hour’s group silence with a singing bowl.
“The thoughts and feelings I encountered throughout this hour’s reflection are private, but I’ll certainly attest to the psychological power enabled by such an event. There was real power in such an assembly of brotherhood, the evening’s aims and the auspicious-yet-comforting location.
“At the silence’s end, us band of men repaired to the Abbey’s interior for much-appreciated hot beverages; I’d made the rookie mistake of only dressing for the warmer part of the day and had not accounted for a chillier end to the event. Before saying our goodbyes and going our separate ways, we sat in the church commissary sharing our experiences and impressions of the evening’s silence. For some, the silence had been about watching and listening to nature, including the call of the resident peregrine falcons; others’ thoughts had turned to the situation in Gaza, bringing forth feelings of grief for those affected and gratitude for the privilege of our comfortable lives.
“The evening was a much-needed tonic to my usual “shut in” situation and I look forward to investing further time and energy into my involvement with MensCraft.”
Recent Comments