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Show Page E8 - THE HERALD, Provo, Utah, Sunday, February 14, 1993 a Repeat into silence for emotional refreshment, renewal mm - Two novice monks, wearing Birkenstock sandals and khaki, met me at the Poughkeepsie Station. 'We had some time to kill before your train," one said, as we Mid-Huds- 4 'We spend so much time in conversation trying to project who we ought to be, what people expect us to be," says Stephen Fisher, a businessman who is a regular at Holy Cross. "It does a lot for me just to be quiet, to be myself not my workaday self," he says. "If I come here for a weekend, I can find my center and face the world with renewed confidence and calm. It may be a few months before my spring tightens up again." New Yorker Eddy Kelman (this name has been changed) began going to silent retreats three years ago. She's spent a day in a damp forest in Big Sur, raked rocks at an Oregon ashram, and endured long hours sitting in silent contemplation on the theory that she learns more about herself in unique and sometimes uncomfortable situations. "It's not refreshing like a regular vacation," she says. "You feel a lot of emotion. I come away but exhilaratotally exhausted I was headed from a loud New York City apartment to a place where most traces of noise, human or otherwise, were either muffled or snuffed out completely. At the Holy Cross Monastery in West Park, N.Y., home of an Episcopal Benedictine order, no horns honk, no phones ring, no fax machines whine. Even the monastery's pudgy black Labrador, Sophie, has been trained not to bark. For humans, talking is strongly discourperiod aged during the ll'i-hou- r between dinner and breakfast. None of the other 20 guests was in sight as we rolled quietly up the drive to the old brick mansion and adjoining chapel. A monk took my bag and led me upstairs to a spartan room with a window overlooking the river. The place had the feel of an Italian hotel during siesta; there was faint stirring behind the doors of the other rooms, but I didn't hear a word. sounds misanthropic to go to a place where talking with others is frowned on. Yet for urbanites, spending a weekend in a quiet monastery, abbey or ashram, being shaken out of bed by bells before dawn, eating simple fare, and remaining so silent that you can actually hear the man at the end of the table swallow, can be more therapeutic than a week a?, a fancy spa. over-stimulat- ed CQiOURQY ...... lilU CONTEST SAVE 30-- nI5' As a tool for reflection,, silence plays an important role in almost all religions. Buddhists first perfected the art of resting the mind IN mm - &U Save on Selected Styles Provo - According to the National Institute of Health, obesity is more than just a problem. It's a disease with serious medical risks. An overweight person is: 6 times more likely to develop gallbladder disease.. .5. 6 times more likely to develop high blood pressure...5.4 times more likely to develop endometrial cancer...and the list keeps going. Obesity can exert it's worst effect on your The Institute continues, "Obesity creates an enormous psychological burden. In terms of suffering, this burden may even be the greatest adverse C OFF TOy immm n rm m n ii nwrimrrrniTii 1022 FREE ARM SEWING MACHINE SINGER 299" Auto The burden of being overweight isn't something you have to face alone. Buttonholer 329s For over 30 years, the Bonneville Medical Group with Director Roger A. Brown, M.D. has Layaway Now mm laawMifamtBr, Before you bite into that juicy hamburger, think pink. If it's pink, don't eat it. "That's the best defense against a potentially deadly food poisoning Bonneville Medical Group is different from many of the current commercial diet programs because they treat any overweight condition as a disease not just a problem. You'll receive a complete medical evalu- spread through undercooked meat," said Charlotte Brennand, Utah State University Extension food safety specialist. "The U.S. Department of Agriculture is working with the federal Centers for Disease Control and the Washington State Department of Public Health to investigate the cause of an outbreak of foodborne illness in Washington." ation: nutritional assessment, medical history, laboratory testing, EKG, physical examination, and other tests if needed This means your diet program will be safe and thorough. You'll become aware of any other medical conditions you might have, and feel better as "We have been told there are at least 100 suspected cases of food-borillness," said Jill Holling-swort- h, assistant to the administrator of USDA's Food Safety and ne these conditions improve or even clear up entirely as weight reduction continues. Inspection Service. "It has been linked by the Washington State health department to the bacterium E. coli 0157:H7 in undercooked ground beef patties eaten at Jack- - For more details about the weight controlwellness programs call the Bonneville Medical Group in Provo at 377-663- (Advertisement) Serta Comfort Capri NOW '1 W t , Firm Wt&YA i f flu NOW -- , 7r. II f l t 1 I I J I I IfCinflit Wt make the Worlds Best Mattress- - LvtyiA $118 $293 $418 Queen 2 pc. Set King 3 pc. Set Pay as Utile as $15 per month Ssta Perfect n tv Twin Serta Premium lit Perfect Sleeps NOW Sleeper ea. pc. 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If there is any pinkness, sendit back. When preparing hamburger at home, Brennand said it is ml only important that the meal is thoroughly cooked, but that it is also handled properly to avoid cross contamination. After handling raw hamburger, be sure to wash your hands thoroughly. 1 Full Each pc Queen 2 pc. Set Luxury Firm III Brennand said symptoms common to poisoning by this bacterium include bloody diarrhea, stomach cramps, urinary tract infections and kidney failures. Despite the potential seriousness of being infected by this bacterium, it is generally uncommon. Most important, it is easily destroyed by thoroughly cooking meat, she said. Brennand said this bacterium is associated with bovines particularly beef, raw milk, and even buffalo. It can, however, be carried in human feces. Because this bacterium remains on the outside of meat, steak is. not affected by it unless it has been poked or jabbed. The meat primarily affected is ground beef such as hamburger and cube steaks, she said. Twin ea. pc. Twin ea. pc Full Each pc restaurants." Utah State University Extension Services Discover for yourself why people call Serta "The World's Best Mattress." I I knew what she meant. Even though we hadn't said a word, her body language seemed gentle and maternal; I'd found her presence comforting. In fact, that companionship struck me as the chief difference between this kind of communal experience and pitching a tent in the forest. At a silent retreat, you can be alone and contemplative without being lonely . By JOHN DEVILBISS provided physican supervised weight control programs for thousands of patients. The effect." 26 Stitches '29 Stilch Functions Built-i- n butlonholer Free Lessons J More you." the hamburger's si pink, it's not safe to eat Being Overweight Can Hurt More Than Just Your Looks price!) MX LACE SALE brother 1700 S022 ur If Books). self-estee- SINGER Umvcisiiy oi acranion, ra., a person observing silence goes through a series of emotional stages. Most involve what psychologists call the false self the composed personality we present to friends and workmates. "Silence begins to take the scaffolding away from that public persona," explains Morgan. "For the first couple of days, it's relaxing not to have to keep up the pretenses. Then, the theory goes, the false self rebels." When that happens, Morgan says, you might find yourself fixating on old hurts and resentments, or being distracted by urges for food, drink or other sensual pleasures. "If you push through," he says, "there will be another giddy period, then more shadows to wrestle with, and, finally, calming on a much deeper level. People begin to have insights into their relationships and the meaning of .their lives. That really comes after several days, as one becomes more quiet, and one's body and heart and mind slow down. " But even a shorter silence, like the 11 period at Holy Cross, can be instructive. When the Great Silence was over and we carried our breakfast plates to the kitchen, we were slow at first to break the spell. Words, strangely enough, now seemed an unneces- -' sary distraction. "You know," a woman finally said to me, "I probf ably learned more about you by just sitting next to you this morning than I could have by talking to ALL' fuluErtb LAnliC ntAU 1 i Stays at these centers can run from as little as $15 a night to $100 or more, meals included. To find a retreat center with a routine that suits your needs, look for a copy of "Sanctuaries: The Northeast," by Jack and Marsha Kelly ($13, (usually slow) and its own schedule of silence and STORF off our new Some people compensate for their unease by laughing, sometimes hysterically. "You hope that no one will notice that you are out of control," says one woman about her first visit to a Buddhist retreat. "You worry that the monks will think you're laughing out of disrespect." She need not have worried. Giggling is considered part of the silent tradition. "Silence tends to let our emotions bubble up, and that release of tension can make you giggly," says Brother Ronald, an elder monk at Holy Cross. "Sometimes all it takes is one glance across the choir, or a silly reading to set the brothers off. ' ' According to psychologist and theologian Oliver Morgan of the Where can one go for quiet Each of the nation's 600 relifrom a gious guest homes Jesuit retreat on the Massachusetts coast to the Trappist monastery high in the Colorado mountains to a Zen ranch in has its own pace California g. ters." tion with God. Benedict encouraged lay people to come and try the routine, a tradition that continues today. At Holy Cross, the day begins and ends in what is called the Great Silence, in which talking is discouraged. After dinner, my fellow guests and I spent the evening reading newspapers in the library, nodding to each other as we mon-asticis- up. THREAD low prices 5Q through quietude a few centuries before Christ. Christian monks now try to emulate St. Benedict, the medieval Roman who is considered the father of Western His formula for living, now known as the Benedictine Rule, is a day divided into times of silence, prayer and labor. He believed that long periods of silence produced the purest communica I found myself skeptical at first, afraid that the silence and snail's pace of the monastery might be as hard on me as the unrelenting intrusions of the cacophonous city, but after a few hours, time slowed. I felt unusually serene and energized. My senses seemed to wake UUUt DETAILS 1st2nd3rd Place Prizes TABLES for the therapeutic effects of silence has been part of ancient religions. Buddhist monks spent hours in silent meditation. An appreciation llMNir,L3!W squdZ CLEARANCE Herald File Art m msr prints CLEANUP nerve-wrackin- ted." it ss wm downstairs having coffee. Although it seemed odd to be in the company of people without saying a word, I was more surprised that we sought each other out, congregating on the porch instead of avoiding one another as strangers often seem to do. At first the situation was awkward. Should I look up at the woman in white Keds who sits down beside me? Do I ignore her as if we were on a subway train? As we sat side by side, though, I realized we had somehow already acknowledged each other. Nonetheless, not having the crutch of social conventions can be "You think you'll go crazy Oh, my God, I've got to say somesays Trey Speegle, who thing!" frequents an ashram in upstate New York. "Of course you can say something if someone is about to spill soup on you. But eventually you're just sitting there with yourself. It's hard to explain. It's as if nothing in the past or future mat- living." drove across the Bridge toward their monastery. "So we went to the mall. What a horror. The din!" Perhaps slipped off to retire. We rose while the lawn was still dewy. A few of us even attended the 6 a.m. prayer session. By 7 a.m. we were all "At a silent retreat, you won't hurt anyone's feelings," says Irma Gottesfeld, a New Jersey therapist. "You won't give anything away. You won't say things you don't mean. That can be liberating, particularly for people who talk for a By AMY ENGELER From Health Magazine m m mjS .dfe. is FURNITURE COMPANY Four Serta Mattress Sunerstores to Serve You. SUGAR HOUSE WEST JORDAN East 486-333- 2)00 South 3 1475 Wert 90th South 566-444- 4 PROVO LAYTON 'SSSSSSS" SSSSmJ E' Stairway S Lift No more problems with stairs. Just sit on a stairway lift, press the button and glide up and down in complete safety. Saves changing your house around or moving. Easily installed to fit curved or straight stairs. 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