The word poustinia has its origin in the Russian word for deser it is also the name given to a small sparsely furnished cabin or room where one goes to be alone, away from the hustle and bustle of life. Essentially poustinia describes a quiet peaceful place that people wish to enter to find the truth of themselves.
The idea of poustinia interests me, it suggests that once we find that quiet place we will have solitude and no matter what goes on externally we can rest in the stillness that is within.
Daily life is difficult, external pressures on all are abundant. Family, work, and life’s responsibilities impact on how we are feeling, on how we think, and how we react. My career is based on helping people to unravel these complexities, finding a way of making the unobtainable obtainable, putting poustinia within their grasp.
Our Own Poustinia
Imagine for a moment if despite all the pressures placed on us we were able, for a point in time each day, to visit our very own poustinia and cultivate an internal space where we can enjoy the solace and peace that we all need.
There at the centre of our being we can sit a while, enjoying the quiet of the desert, listening and learning. Just as the silence of the desert is peppered with the noises of insects and the wind, so too the more we listen in that quiet place the more we will understand and become accustomed to the babble of our own minds. The more we listen to ourselves, the more we will know ourselves.
So the question is “What stops us enjoying the company of ourselves?” Well, more often than not it’s our fears, insecurities, past experiences, and hurts. I am not saying that counselling and therapy are the answer for everything. Meditation, prayer, photography, journalling, and a whole host of activities may help you reach your own poustinia. But, if the clamour and noise are such that you cannot decipher your own thoughts, counselling maybe the place to start.