Fr. Henri J.M. NouwenAccording to him, if you are tired .apply the 3 DisciplineSolitude - Short-term solitude is often valued as a time when one may work, think or rest without being disturbed. It may be desired for the sake ofprivacy.A distinction has been made between solitude andloneliness. In this sense, these two words refer, respectively, to the joy and the pain of being aloneOur language has wisely sensed the two sides of being alone. It has created the word loneliness to express the pain of being alone. And it has created the word solitude to express the glory of being alone.Paul TillichHappy the man, whose wish and careA few paternal acres bound,Content to breathe his native air,In his own ground.

Whose heards with milk, whose fields with bread,Whose flocks supply him with attire,Whose trees in summer yield him shade,In winter fire.

Blest! who can unconcern'dly findHours, days, and years slide soft away,In health of body, peace of mind,Quiet by day,

Sound sleep by night; study and easeTogether mix'd; sweet recreation,And innocence, which most does please,With meditation.

Thus let me live, unseen, unknown;Thus unlamented let me dye;Steal from the world, and not a stoneTell where I lye.Alexander PopeThe Difference Between Solitude and LonelinessHere's a great quote fromThe Origins of Totalitarianismby Hannah Arendt about the difference between solitude and loneliness:"The lonely man finds himself surrounded by others with whom he cannot establish contact or to whose hostility he is exposed.

The solitary man, on the contrary, is alone and therefore "can be together with himself." In solitude, in other words, I am "by myself", together with my self, and therefore two-in-one, whereas in loneliness I am actually one, deserted by all others.

All thinking, strictly speaking, is done in solitude and is a dialogue of thought.

Solitude can became loneliness; this happens when all by myself I am deserted by my own self. Solitary men have always been in danger of loneliness, when they can no longer find the redeeming grace of companionship..."

To me this description in many ways parallels the differences between introversion and shyness. With introversion as an orientation of thinking more akin to solitude, and shyness more akin to loneliness. In that someone who is shy, may wish to be with others, but is afraid to reach out to them, and if ending up alone feels lonely; whereas an introvert being fully content with themselves, may selectively choose to be alone but without feeling lonely at all; with solitude being a positive experience of being alone, loneliness being a negative one.

I myself am a solitary person. Not a lonely person. I've never felt lonely before in my life. Not even as a little kid, when I was for awhile the new kid on the block who didn't have any friends. I've always felt perfectly at peace with myself, my greatest solace being nature and books. I've never felt completely alone because I've always felt a deep sense of companionship and connectedness with the earth and the sky and the greater universe.

If I were locked up in solitary confinement without a book or a window, that would be hell, but so long as I can be outside and see blue sky and stars and green grass and trees, and hear the sounds of nature and the sounds of birds singing, even by myself I wouldn't feel alone, wouldn't be lonely.

Of course that could all change in the blink of an eye, where solitude could easily digress into loneliness, where strength could be overtaken by weakness, where peace of mind could dissolve into misery...where if this connection to love is severed completely, all that would remain in its place is a feeling of separation, alienation, and isolation.

All it takes is a split second for your attitude to change completely, where your entire world could be turned upside down and inside out.

Attitude really is everything.

In order to never lose this feeling of connectedness, this "redeeming grace of companionship" with the world, it requires an attitude of openness and goodwill toward the whole world.

So that even in the absence of human companionship, you will never feel entirely alone, and even in the absence of housing or material possessions, you will never feel entirely homeless or deprived, but feel at home and among friends wherever you may be, even when alone you'll experience a peaceful solitude without loneliness.

Silence "Silence" in spirituality is often a metaphor for inner stillness. A silent mind, freed from the onslaught of thoughts and thought patterns, is both a goal and an important step in spiritual development. Such "inner silence" is not about the absence of sound; instead, it is understood to bring one in contact with the divine, the ultimate reality, or one's own true self, one's divine nature.[6]Many religious traditions imply the importance of being quiet and still in mind and spirit for transformative and integral spiritual growth to occur. InBuddhism, the descriptions of silence and allowing the mind to become silent are implied as a feature of spiritualenlightenment. In Hinduism, including the teachings ofAdvaita Vedantaand the many paths of yoga, teachers insist on the importance of silence,Mauna, for inner growth. Perkey Avot, the Jewish Sages guide for living, states that, "Tradition is a safety fence to Torah, tithing a safety fence to wealth, vows a safety fence for abstinence; a safety fence for wisdom..... is silence." In some traditions ofQuakerism, silence is an actual part of worship services and a time to allow the divine to speak in the heart and mind.[7]Eckhart Tollesays that silence can be seen either as the absence of noise, or as the space in which sound exists, just as inner stillness can be seen as the absence of thought, or the space in which thoughts are perceived.Avow of silenceis usually a religious vow, usually taken in amonasticcontext, to maintainsilence. Known asMaunainHinduism,Jainism, andBuddhism, the practice is integral to manyChristiantraditions as well. Apart from that it is also followed as aspiritual practice.Pythagorasimposed a strict rule of silence on his disciples; theVestal virginsalso were bound to severe silence for long years. Many similar examples could be quoted.Religious orders such as the Benedictines have insisted on this as one of the essential rules of their institutes.[1]In monasteries of many orders there are special places, called the "Regular Places" (church, refectory, dormitory etc.) and particular times, especially the night hours, termed the "Great Silence", wherein speaking is more strictly prohibited. Outside these places and times there are usually accorded "recreations" during which conversation is permitted, governed by rules of charity and moderation, though useless and idle words are universally forbidden in all times and places. Of course in active orders the members speak according to the needs of their various duties.It was perhaps theCistercian Orderalone that admitted no relaxation from the strict rule of silence,[dubiousdiscuss]which severity is still maintained amongst the Reformed Cistercians (Trappists) though other contemplative Orders (Carthusians,Carmelites,Camaldoleseetc.) are much more strict on this point than those engaged in active works. In order to avoid the necessity of speaking, many orders (Cistercians,Dominicans,Discalced Carmelitesetc.) have acertain number of signs, by means of which the religious may have a limited communication with each other for the necessities that are unavoidable.In theIndian religionsreligious silence is calledMaunaand the name for asagemuni(see, for exampleSakyamuni) literally means 'silent one'.Another vow of silence can be made to express a bold statement. This type may be to speak up controversial issues such as child poverty. An example of is The November 30th Vow of Silence for Free The Children in which students in Canada take a 24 hour vow of silence to speak up against poverty and child labour.There is also the use of a vow of silence done in order to sharpen other senses, whether they be physical or mental, or to discover certain aspects of oneself.

Meditationis a practice in which an individual trains themindor induces amode of consciousness, either to realize some benefit[1]or as an end in itself.[2]The termmeditationrefers to a broad variety of practices (much like the termsports) that includes techniques designed to promote relaxation, build internal energy or life force (qi,ki,prana, etc.) and develop compassion,[3]love, patience, generosity and forgiveness. A particularly ambitious form of meditation aims at effortlessly sustained single-pointed concentration[4]single-pointed analysis,[5]meant to enable its practitioner to enjoy anindestructible sense of well-beingwhile engaging in any life activity.The wordmeditationcarries different meanings in different contexts. Meditation has been practiced since antiquity as a component of numerous religious traditions and beliefs.[6]Meditation often involves an internal effort to self-regulate the mind in some way. Meditation is often used to clear the mind and ease many health issues, such as highblood pressure,[7]depression, andanxiety. It may be donesitting, or in an active wayfor instance,Buddhist monksinvolve awareness in their day-to-day activities as a form of mind-training.Prayer beadsor other ritual objects are commonly used during meditation in order to keep track of or remind the practitioner about some aspect of the training.Meditation may involve generating an emotional state for the purpose of analyzing that statesuch as anger, hatred, etc.or cultivating a particular mental response to various phenomena, such ascompassion.[8]The term "meditation" can refer to the state itself, as well as to practices or techniques employed to cultivate the state.[9]Meditation may also involve repeating amantraand closing the eyes.[10]The mantra is chosen based on its suitability to the individual meditator. Meditation has a calming effect and directs awareness inward until pure awareness is achieved, described as "being awake inside without being aware of anything except awareness itself."[11]In brief, there are dozens of specific styles of meditation practice, and many different types of activity commonly referred to as meditative practices.[12]

A strong believer inChristian meditation, SaintPio of Pietrelcinastated: "Through the study of books one seeks God; by meditation one finds him.

Prayeris aninvocationor act that seeks to activate arapportwith adeity, an object of worship, or a spiritual entity through deliberate communication. Prayer can be a form ofreligious practice, may be either individual or communal and take place in public or in private. It may involve the use of words or song. Whenlanguageis used, prayer may take the form of ahymn,incantation, formalcreed, or a spontaneous utterance in the praying person. There are different forms of prayer such aspetitionaryprayer, prayers ofsupplication, thanksgiving, andworship/praise. Prayer may be directed towards a deity, spirit, deceased person, or lofty idea, for the purpose of worshipping, requestingguidance, requesting assistance, confessingsinsor to express one's thoughts and emotions. Thus, people pray for many reasons such as personal benefit or for the sake of others.Most majorreligionsinvolve prayer in one way or another. Some ritualize the act of prayer, requiring a strict sequence of actions or placing a restriction on who is permitted to pray, while others teach that prayer may be practiced spontaneously by anyone at any time.Scientific studies regarding the use of prayer have mostly concentrated on its effect on the healing of sick or injured people.Meta-studiesof the studies in this field have been performed showing evidence only for no effect or a potentially small effect. For instance, a 2006 meta analysis on 14 studies concluded that there is "no discernable effect" while a 2007 systemic review of intercessory prayer reported inconclusive results, noting that 7 of 17 studies had "small, but significant, effect sizes" but the review noted that the most methodologically rigorous studies failed to produce significant findings.[1][2]Some studies have indicated increased medical complications in groups receiving prayer over those without.[3][4][5]The efficacy of petition in prayer for physical healing to a deity has been evaluated in numerous other studies, with contradictory results.[6][7][8][9]There has been some criticism of the way the studies were conducted.Prayer healing[edit]Main article:Faith healingPrayer is often used as a means offaith healingin an attempt to usereligiousorspiritualmeans to prevent illness, curedisease, or improve health. Some attempt to heal by prayer, mental practices, spiritual insights, or other techniques, claiming they can summon divine or supernatural intervention on behalf of the ill. Others advocate that ill people may achieve healing through prayer performed by themselves.[110]According to the varied beliefs of those who practice it, faith healing may be said to afford gradual relief from pain or sickness or to bring about a sudden "miracle cure", and it may be used in place of, or in tandem with, conventional medical techniques for alleviating or curing diseases. Faith healing has been criticized on the grounds that those who use it may delay seeking potentially curative conventional medical care. This is particularly problematic when parents use faith healing techniques on children.Efficacy of prayer healing[edit]Main article:Efficacy of prayerIn 1872,Francis Galtonconducted a famousstatisticalexperiment to determine whether prayer had a physical effect on the external environment. Galton hypothesized that if prayer was effective, members of the British Royal family would live longer, given that thousands prayed for their wellbeing every Sunday. He therefore compared longevity in the British Royal family with that of the general population, and found no difference.[6]While the experiment was probably intended to satirize, and suffered from a number ofconfounders, it set the precedent for a number of different studies, the results of which are contradictory.Two studies claimed that patients who are being prayed for recover more quickly or more frequently although critics have claimed that the methodology of such studies are flawed, and the perceived effect disappears when controls are tightened.[111]One such study, with adouble-blinddesign and about 500 subjects per group, was published in 1988; it suggested that intercessory prayer by born again Christians had a statistically significant positive effect on a coronary care unit population.[7]Critics contend that there were severe methodological problems with this study.[10]Another such study was reported by Harris et al.[8]Critics also claim that the 1988 study was not fully double-blinded, and that in the Harris study, patients actually had a longer hospital stay in the prayer group, if one discounts the patients in both groups who left before prayers began,[112]although the Harris study did demonstrate the prayed for patients on average received lower course scores (indicating better recovery).One of the largest randomized, blind clinical trials was a remoteretroactiveintercessory prayer study conducted in Israel by Leibovici. This study used 3393 patient records from 199096, and blindly assigned some of these to an intercessory prayer group. The prayer group had shorter hospital stays and duration of fever.[113]Several studies of prayer effectiveness have yielded null results.[9]A 2001 double-blind study of theMayo Clinicfound no significant difference in the recovery rates between people who were (unbeknownst to them) assigned to a group that prayed for them and those who were not.[114]Similarly, the MANTRA study conducted by Duke University found no differences in outcome of cardiac procedures as a result of prayer.[115]In another similar study published in theAmerican Heart Journalin 2006,[116]Christian intercessory prayer when reading a scripted prayer was found to have no effect on the recovery of heart surgery patients; however, the study found patients who had knowledge of receiving prayer had slightly higher instances of complications than those who did not know if they were being prayed for or those who did not receive prayer.[3][4]Another 2006 study suggested that prayer actually had a significant negative effect on the recovery ofcardiac bypasspatients, resulting in more frequent deaths and slower recovery time for those patient who received prayers.[5]Many believe that prayer can aid in recovery, not due to divine influence but due to psychological and physical benefits. It has also been suggested that if a person knows that he or she is being prayed for it can be uplifting and increase morale, thus aiding recovery. (SeeSubject-expectancy effect.) Many studies have suggested that prayer can reduce physical stress, regardless of the god or gods a person prays to, and this may be true for many worldly reasons. According to a study by Centra State Hospital, "the psychological benefits of prayer may help reduce stress and anxiety, promote a more positive outlook, and strengthen the will to live."[117]Other practices such asyoga,t'ai chi, and meditation may also have a positive impact on physical and psychological health.Others feel that the concept of conducting prayer experiments reflects a misunderstanding of the purpose of prayer. The previously mentioned American Heart Journal study published in theAmerican Heart Journalindicated that some of the intercessors who took part in it complained about the scripted nature of the prayers that were imposed to them,[3]saying that this is not the way they usually conduct prayer:Prior to the start of this study, intercessors reported that they usually receive information about the patients age, gender and progress reports on their medical condition; converse with family members or the patient (not by fax from a third party); use individualized prayers of their own choosing; and pray for a variable time period based on patient or family request.One scientific movement attempts to track the physical effects of prayer throughneuroscience. Leaders in this movement includeAndrew Newberg, an Associate Professor at the University of Pennsylvania. In Newberg's brain scans, monks, priests, nuns and gurus alike have exceptionally focused attention and compassion sites. This is a result of the frontal lobe of the brains engagement (Newberg, 2009). Newburg believes that anybody can connect to the supernatural with practice. Those without religious affiliations benefit from the connection to the metaphysical as well. Newberg also states that further evidence towards humans' need for metaphysical relationships is that as science had increased spirituality has not decreased. Newburg believes that at the end of the 18th century, when the scientific method began to consume[pageneeded]the human mind, religion could have vanished. However, two hundred years later, the perception of spirituality, in many instances, appears to be gaining in strength (2009). Newberg's research also provides the connection between prayer and meditation and health. By understanding how the brain works during religious experiences and practices Newberg's research shows that the brain changes during these practices allowing an understanding of how religion affects psychological and physical health (2009). For example, brain activity during meditation indicates that people who frequently practice prayer or meditation experience lower blood-pressure, lower heart rates, decreased anxiety, and decreased depression.