A Moment of Silence and Memories: Reflecting Back to September 11, 2001

By Maryann Parker

In watching the September 11, 2021 memorial services, we were all brought back to that heinous event that took three thousand of our fellow Americans’ lives. Two words seem to stand out in the memorials: “silence” and “memories”.

Twenty years ago, on that same date, I started my yoga class the same way I always do – with stillness and silence. The purpose is to shift away from thought to awareness. We are resting our brains (Little Mind) so that our consciousness isn’t disturbed by the mental chaos that often resides there. When our senses are not stimulated, our consciousness (Big Mind) can emerge and expand: That is what “yokes and joins us”. Once we realize we are all “One Consciousness”, all of humanity is yoked and joined.

The other word, “memories”, provokes questions of how memories are made. We must be fully present in the moment. You wouldn’t be on your phone and running away from a burning building at the same time – you would just run. In my last blog, I attempted to explain “mindfulness”, saying that it is having full attention to what is going on in your world at the moment. When something has your undivided attention, it helps you retain memories. 

In my yoga classes, we begin with silence and then practice mindfulness when doing our poses. In that way, we are building up our memory muscle and also having a fulfilling experience. In our final pose, restorative yoga, we return to silence. At that moment, we can once again feel that connected consciousness with those around us. That is what coming together means. So, when 9/11 happened, we felt one with each other and all the people of the world. Yes, we will come together again, because we were never separated.

For more information, contact:

Maryann Parker

952-927-9380 

parkeryoga@yahoo.com