I’ve been living in a world of noise recently.
One of our neighbours is having some building work done.
They told us it would take around six months, but just recently it’s been relentless.
The power tools start up at, or before, 7am.
The banging.
The trucks, bobcats, and countless other machines.
On top of all this our pool pump went belly up.
My husband got a replacement one, but it was awful.
Not the usual low hum.
This was, as he described it, like a bag of bees.
Don’t get me wrong, I love bees!
But this noise was high pitched and whining.
Then another strange noise came into our lives.
An animal call of some sort.
At first I though maybe sheep or goats.
Some days it sounded like bats.
This wasn’t an unpleasant or disruptive sound, it was just… what the heck is it?
Anyway all of this noise was happening when one of my meditation ladies mentioned she’d just watched an episode of Limitless.
(This is the National Geographic docuseries, where actor Chris Hemsworth teams up with longevity experts to push himself to the limit, to unlock the secrets of living a healthier, longer life.)
She’d found it interesting that as a result he’d started building stillness and solitude into his daily routine.
Coincidentally I’d just read an article on exactly the same thing.
In the fifth episode of the first series (called ‘Memory’), Hemsworth discovers he carries two copies of the APOE4 gene, which puts him at higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s Disease.
Courtesy of MK Edits/YouTube
It’s powerful stuff.
It also led him to take a break from his career and reflect on how he approaches work, stress and his health.
Already well-known for practicing and promoting meditation… he now focuses on sleep, screen-free time and doing more mindfulness practices.
“Now, I’m incorporating more solitude into my life. I’ve really felt the importance of taking time for yourself without any outside voice or stimulation and making time for stillness. I don’t want to be in a sprint anymore. I want to be right here and appreciate everything that’s in front of me.” – Chris Hemsworth, Men’s Health magazine.
For those of you doing my 12 Days of Mindfulness, I hope this is what you’ve been able to tap in to…
As I’ve said many times before, mindfulness is about being aware of what’s happening right now, in this present moment.
To notice you do have to stop.
Focus and breathe.
Become aware of your senses and notice what you can see, hear and feel.
I’ve been particularly mindful of what I’ve been hearing of late…
But I’m pleased to report we’ve had the new pump replaced… and it’s soooo quiet.
A family that moved into our street recently have a couple of Macaws – that strange ‘animal’ noise explained!
And today… no building noise. Ahhhhhhh…
Time to step outside and eat a Christmas treat.
Mindfully of course…
Ann 🙏