When I was growing up, my mother used to burn incense everyday. She still does. She never used the artificial sweet-smelling incense; she always used the woody joss sticks. The scent of a single joss stick is just enough to clear the air, so to say. I love it. It's hard to explain how the smoke of a joss stick can actually clear the air inside a home.
Speaking of clearing the air, I also like to clear the mind. No, I'm not talking about using incense. I'm talking about listening to Buddhist chants. On my iPhone, I have an app that allows me to hear a chant. Most mornings, I'll plug in my earbuds and clear my mind with a simple Buddhist chant.
It's wonderfully effective.
The hour-long chant clears my mind of lingering clutter and annoying songs that get stuck in your ear.
I have no idea what the chant is about. I think it's in Chinese. But it doesn't matter. All I know is that like incense, the chants clear the mind, and that's a good thing.
What do YOU do to clear your mind?
Image source: Barnstable, Janet. 126.jpg. "May, 1999". Pics4Learning. 29 Mar 2013 <http://pics.tech4learning.com>
2 comments:
I knit, Nerima. :-) As I get older I find my mind is much calmer and less full than it used to be, so sitting quietly with muy knitting to occupy my hands works wonderfully.
Oh Perpetua, I used to knit before I became a Nan. Now I just don't have the time. When I retire in June 2014, knitting is on my short list of things to do. I still have my old knitting needles.
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