I recently stumbled on this word again and I love everything about it; the images it evokes for me, the way it feels in my mouth. Rapture like wonder, are seriously undervalued in our lives. Or maybe not often enough recognized. I guess it depends on how you define rapture; the dictionary includes synonyms like delight, pleasure and surely we feel those daily (hopefully). But I see it as the superlative of those things, or the ecstasy we feel when we completely connect, body and soul, to the situation we find ourselves in. Once you've experienced it, there's no going back.
I think in today's world we have the most access to rapture listening to music. Actually, research has shown that it's one of the most effective ways to connect body/mind/spirit. Music can take us away, make us dance, tap into memories so powerfully as to trigger the experience all over again. Rapture. But is it possible to feel rapture in other ways, smaller ways? Maybe there's potential for rapture in everything "pleasurable" we do. A chance encounter, a crisp sunny day, a funny moment, just being alive. Gratitude is the key to unlock rapture; a moment-to-moment appreciation of the abundance in our lives. To be lucky enough not to live in a war-torn country, to be healthy, capable, smart, able to choose. The second ingredient for rapture is stillness. We need to stop long enough to mindfully breathe in the experience we are having and allow it to resonate with true appreciation.
How often are we really still in our lives? When do we choose to take a beat to create space enough to just be without doing? One of my sons went to a Quaker high school where they sat as a community in silence every Monday morning. Of course I heard many times about how "stupid" it was. After he had finished school and been in the work world for a while he said to me one day, "you know I miss those Quaker meetings; there's something great about just sitting and doing nothing."
I used to feel guilty when I took time to do nothing. Being busy made me feel productive and I became addicted to the feeling of being spent at the end of the day. Sometimes we don't have as much of a choice as other times. Like when you have a job and a partner and kids, each with their complicated needs/schedules. And then there's the business of life with food and laundry and broken dishwashers and doctor visits and looking drop-dead gorgeous and staying in great shape, etc, etc. I get it, it's hard to take time for yourself. But if we looked at finding stillness as a necessity rather than a luxury, we would find the time, even a few minutes a day. Once we feel the benefits of stillness and gratitude, it becomes easier to integrate that calm spaciousness into the activities of our lives. Every day can be filled with moments of rapture.
#capturetherapture #raptureinmusic #seekgratitude #findthestillness #taketimeforyourself #connectbodymindspirit #quakermeetings
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