“When we rise from sleep let us rise for the true work that we will be about this day, and considerably cheer one another on.” -The Rule of St. Benedict
Have you wondered what it would be like to totally disconnect from computers, cell phones, iPads, TV, family, friends and pets for a few days? I decided to give it a try over the New Year holiday and spent five days with monks whose total way of being in the world and of interacting with each other and their guests was to “cheer one another on” at every opportunity. It was New Year’s 6th Century Style at St. Andrew’s Benedictine Abbey in the Southern California High Desert.
Did you know that Benedict established twelve monasteries throughout Italy in the 6th Century? His monks were committed to a set of ideals and followed a rhythmic daily pattern of work, study, community and prayer. 1500 years later, Benedictine monks are still living lives modeled on the “The Rule of St. Benedict”.
In summary, Benedict suggested living a life committed to pragmatic, self-sustaining life balance. He was the Dr. Oz and Oprah of fifteen centuries ago. Simply amazing!
St. Andrews Abbey provided a simple, quiet, safe and exceptionally gorgeous natural setting in which to rest, wander, read, sit and stare at a fire, a Koi pond or a mountain. Meals were lovingly prepared and served by the monks. They were healthful and delicious. Breakfast and dinner were eaten in silence.
If you choose, you can join the monks in their prayers and chanting gatherings, attend mass, listen to lectures on spiritual maturity, or just retreat to your own solo disconnect. Your preference. No pressure.
So how was it really? Well, day one was unsettling. Kept habitually checking my phone for some kind of world connection. Seemed unbelievable that nothing was there for me. Found myself reading old emails and reviewing my photos. Day two I was in awe that I was free. Free from a schedule, a to-do list, obligations to others. I became giddy with delight. I had not felt that way in years. It seemed unreal. Days three and four got me into a rhythm of slow. It was slow walks, slow eating, slow reading, slow thinking and maybe for a second or two–no thinking, frequent naps. On day five I woke up feeling well rested. I could not stop smiling. I was at ease. Only downer was it was time to pack up and go home. That was also done very slowly.
After twenty-four hours at home, I still feel rested. I am still on slow. I am reading and will re-read and highly suggest John McQuiston II’s Always We Begin Again-the Benedictine Way of Living. McQuiston has adapted the “The Rule of St. Benedict” to the circumstances of contemporary life. McQuiston makes it very easy see how “The Rule of St. Benedict” can be a model for living a present day, successful professional and personal life.
I also suggest The Joy of Quiet, by Pico Iyer, NY Times, December 29, 2011.
Take a look at St. Andrew’s Abbey website. There are some very interesting weekend and week-long retreats planned for 2012. You will find everything from Thomas Merton, to Cinema and Major Life Transitions and even Continental Cooking with the Saints (dishes with Saint’s names).
If you would like to see how the “The Rule of St. Benedict” can help you cheer yourself and your team on in the twenty-first century, let’s talk.
1 comment
David Kamm says:
Jan 17, 2012
Very interesting perspective. The Jewish faith incorporates some aspects of the unplugged approach: during the Sabbath (Friday sundown to Saturday sundown), observant Jews break from the power grid and are not even to turn on a light. So, TV, radio and cell phones are definitely off. While silence is not mandated, this weekly retreat from the grid is intended to refresh and re-establish a connection with oneself, God and others. Modern, less striclty observant rabbis suggest that we try unplugging the TV, just to see what a difference it can make. This way, one can retreat a bit without ever leaving home.