You might have heard of the word Sabbath,
Often connected to the Christian or Jewish faiths,
Meaning to observe a day of rest,
To keep as a sacred day.
Even in my lifetime I have noticed a huge change in the keeping of this day which,
Although used to be a Saturday,
Then became a Sunday.
When I was a child,
Shops were not open on a Sunday and no one did any work apart from maybe mow the grass or cook the dinner.
Sundays were quiet,
Relaxed and calm,
A day for reflecting,
Spending time with the family and for resting,
Repair and rejuvenation.
It's not like that anymore.
Sundays are often one of the busiest days in the shopping centres and supermarkets.
Shops,
Bars,
Restaurants are all open.
Families are often scattered and busy and the day is no longer kept as sacred.
I believe something has been lost in the keeping holy of this one day,
But in this society we may not have a choice in having Sundays off,
In having a nice leisurely day off with the family.
In the past few months in lockdown many people have said that they have enjoyed sitting down and eating together,
Chatting,
Spending time again as a family.
I believe these times can be sacred.
So our lives might be busy.
We may have to work on Sundays,
But is it possible for you to introduce Sabbath periods of time into your life,
Sabbath moments even?
Can you recognise the importance of them?
In 1926 Henry Ford took his working week from a six-day week to five and Mr Kellogg,
The serial guy,
Created a six-hour workday for his employees,
Both of them citing a more productive workforce because of it.
Rutger Bregman,
The Dutch author,
Has found that countries with shorter work weeks have smaller ecological footprints.
One long-term study done by B.
B.
Gump and K.
A.
Matthew found that those who don't take holidays are 30 to 50% more likely to suffer heart attacks than those that do take holidays and that people who work long hours have 20% higher mortality rate than those that don't work long hours.
So pretty good reasons to rethink our working days maybe,
But again if this is not doable,
Is it possible for you to create these Sabbath moments throughout your working days?
Benjamin Franklin says,
He that can take rest is greater than he that can take cities.
If you are worried that you will break your stride during work or lose your focus,
Well according to a study done by the University of York,
The results showed that 40% of creative ideas actually came during the breaks when our minds are allowed to wander.
BDNF or brain-derived neurotrophic factor is a protein that supports existing neurons and encourages growth in new ones.
People suffering with depression,
Alzheimer's and schizophrenia have links to low levels of BDNF and increased levels are linked to improved performance in learning and memory,
Improved mental health and better cognitive performances.
There are several ways to increase your levels of BDNF including exercise,
Removing processed and sugary foods from the diet,
Spending time in sunlight,
Healthy social engagements and meditating.
A study done by a professor of clinical psychology,
Ray L.
Kahn,
Measured before and after levels of BDNF of a group who attended a three-month meditation retreat.
What he found was incredible.
The levels after the retreat increased by a whopping 280%.
So whilst we can't all participate in three-month meditation retreats,
We are in control of taking breaks.
So let's begin with a Sabbath moment now.
Close your eyes if you wish and notice whatever is present for you right now.
Maybe your mind is still processing the information you have just heard.
Maybe you are planning changing your working hours or working out where you will go for your next meditation retreat.
But for now,
Let's just let go of all that and focus on the here and now.
Right where you are right now,
In this moment,
In this place.
Take your attention to the body.
What is there for you today?
Any aches and pains?
Any tension anywhere?
Just notice it,
Acknowledge it.
You can come back to it later but for now,
We are just letting everything go.
Let's take our attention to the breath,
To your breath,
This life giving force,
This miracle.
Watch the breath coming in and going out.
Watching,
Noticing.
That's all you have to do right now.
Simply watch your breath.
Watching the breath coming in,
Watching the breath going out.
Take a deeper breath now.
In and out.
In through the nose,
Out through the nose.
In through the nose,
Out through the nose.
Slow,
Steady breath.
Notice any thoughts arising and just let them go for now.
Maybe visualise yourself actually letting them go,
Like releasing a balloon into the sky to float away.
Let the thoughts go.
Watch them float by into the sky until you no longer see them.
Just sitting,
Just breathing,
Resting,
Resting,
Resting.
Notice the body has softened.
Notice the mind has quietened.
Softened.
Quietened.
Resting here.
Resting.
Resting.
Resting.
Not waiting for anything.
Not expecting anything.
Nothing to do.
Nowhere to go.
Just rest.
Resting.
Watching thought,
Allowing it to go.
Letting go.
Letting go.
Letting go.
No goals.
No hopes.
Just fully being in your life in this very moment as it is right now.
Being here.
Being here.
Being.
Sinking into stillness.
Sinking.
Sinking.
Sinking.
This is a poem called Now.
Be here with me,
Breathing.
Be here with you,
Breathing.
Be still and listen to your heart.
Be still and listen to your breath.
Be quiet and listen.
Be quiet and listen.
Pause for a moment and sit.
Settle here and rest.
Be unstirring.
Be undisturbed.
Be here at peace with me,
With you,
In this moment,
Now.
Be here.
Be here mindfully.
Bring your awareness to your space,
To your body in this space.
Become aware of any part of the body in contact with the floor or the seat or the bed.
And bring back some slight movements to the body.
A wriggle of the fingers or toes.
A careful movement of the head.
A slight stretch.
Become aware of any sounds around you.
The temperature on your skin.
And when you are ready,
Open your eyes.
Thank you.
