Monasticism. An institutionalized religious practice or movement whose members attempt to live by a rule that requires works that go beyond those of either the laity or the ordinary spiritual leaders of their religions.

Britannica

To preface: I don’t live a monastic life, obviously. I wouldn’t be allowed to have this blog, for starters. Aside from the adult nature of my writing, my efforts would be needed elsewhere. Also, the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience are not for most. Take a wild guess as to which one I’d find most difficult.

One thing I value a lot more now in recent years is peace and quiet. I like it. I need it, I’ve found as time’s gone on. If I don’t get a sufficient amount of “me time” during the day, I feel quite anxious and restless. I need time to decompress and just think, as there’s so much in my head to start with.

What I keep regularly are the documentaries about the monastic life I found online. Those official documentaries from the TV (Leur Souffle on Netflix is a good one) or made by the monasteries themselves. They detail life in a monastery, as told by the monks and nuns who live, work, and pray there. Monasteries differ depending on their religion and the charism within it.

In my particular interest (Christianity), there are many, with Benedictine, Franciscan, Cistercian, Passionist, and Carmelite to name a few. I find them very calming since it’s so different from the hustle, bustle, and noise of our world today. I like their simplicity. I like the time dedicated to prayer and working with your hands. I like the rejection of materialism. Everyone is equal there, regardless of background, ethnicity, social or financial status.

A life of strict simplicity and contemplation, dedicating their entire life to God and prayer for the needs of the world. Embracing silence, self-sufficiency, and community. A life given for others. It is, by much of today’s standards, counter-cultural.

It’s not a life that many can actually live. Those who live in the monasteries would be the first to tell you that. Like anyone else, they have good days and bad days. Praying for the needs of the world is no easy feat. It’s not a life I could live. I like a balance of routine and spontaneity. If I stuck to the same strict routine every day without leeway, I think I’d go mad. But there are many things I believe, that I have learned and continue to learn from monks and nuns in monasteries, to incorporate into my daily life.

A big one is reminding myself to unplug and appreciate the everyday things. Unplugging can be very difficult for me, as I love listening to music and to videos. By “unplugging”, I also mean unplugging from the stress of everyday life. I use worship music (usually a traditional-style chant, which I’ve always loved. Rorate Caeli, particularly by Patrick Lenk, is one of my many favourites), listening to an audiobook or re-listening to a documentary (having anxiety, I find it comforting) is one of the many ways I do that. Not putting pressure on myself. Reminding myself what is most important. That, and actually unplugging and just listening to the birds chirping, the wind blowing, and admiring nature around me.

That and the lockdown really taught me to make the most of finding joy in the little things. One of my favourite things is seeing flowers start to sprout from the soil in the early spring. It’s a confirmation that a long and cold winter is almost over and spring is definitely on its way. As well, is seeing the leaves changing colour in the autumn, and finally being able to wear some layers and cosy up with blankets and a good cup of tea. As you can gather, I’m not a fan of the heat and humidity that comes with a British summer. I’ve recently been looking into the Danish concept of hygge, which I can relate to here.

I’ve watched many documentaries and videos about monasteries in the last few years. I find them fascinating. It’s so opposite from my everyday life that I’m curious as to what draws on to a life so different. Recently, I listened to The Rule of St. Benedict on Audible. For those of you who don’t know, St. Benedict is sometimes called “the father of Western monasticism”. It was incredibly interesting, albeit, there were elements I vehemently disagreed with. That being said, the harsher elements regarding discipline are not enacted now. As we can all acknowledge, what may have been applicable one thousand years ago may not be today.

The rejection, or significant lack of emphasis, on the “rush” of everyday life and placing one’s worth in material possessions, has been a big one for me. I’ve mentioned before how faith has interlinked with my desire to be more environmentally friendly. Along with many reality checks that were brought by the pandemic, the pressures I used to put on myself to have certain items or be in certain spaces to be deemed “socially acceptable”, I no longer worry about. It feels incredibly freeing to not be so worked up about these things. I’m finding a liberation in simplicity that I welcome wholeheartedly.

A simpler life offers a calmness that I, as an anxious person, find very inviting. Less to worry about, and less noise. It gives my head space to breathe. My brain is so crammed with anxieties and things to remember, that anything more and I’ll feel forgetful or overwhelmed (either that or I really need to start utilising Google Calendar more). Less to worry about means less anxiety, surely.

So, learning more about monastic practice to be more mindful of your surroundings and what’s happening here and now, has been and continues to be helpful for me. Take the religious angle out and it’s simply called “mindfulness”, which I’ve practiced in trauma therapy in the past, and is helpful for countless. But for some reason, it’s taken a religious angle for the practice to actually latch on.

It’s a work in progress like anything is. But I’m very grateful for coming across monasticism and learning more about it. I started watching to learn because of curiosity and a thirst for knowledge. That elements of it are helping in my mental well-being is a very welcome silver lining.

* Image – Pixabay