The "Inner Monastery"

How to bring monastic silence into your daily life

You might know the feeling: your calendar is full, your smartphone vibrates constantly, and at the end of the day, you feel internally empty despite having accomplished so much. There is this quiet longing for a place where time flows differently. For a place that breathes silence. But the truth is: you don’t necessarily have to live behind monastery walls to find this peace. Within every person, there is a space of silence – I call it the "inner monastery."

What is the "inner monastery"?

The inner monastery is not a part of you that rejects the world. On the contrary: it is the part of your heart that is firmly anchored in God. As Cistercian nuns, we cultivate this inner life through the Liturgy of the Hours and our work. But this "monastic space" is open to everyone. It is about cultivating an attitude of mindfulness and devotion, whether you are standing in the kitchen, working in the office, or raising children.

Three ways to enter your inner monastery in everyday life:

1. The Holy Interruption: In the monastery, we interrupt our work several times a day for choir prayer. You can do this too: set a signal on your phone or use the moment before you start your computer. Pause for two minutes. Take a deep breath. Remind yourself that God is with you in this moment. These short "anchors" prevent the day from simply rushing past you.

2. Ora et Labora (Pray and Work): Try to see a simple task – like washing the dishes or walking to the supermarket – as a prayer. You don’t need many words. The intention is enough: "Lord, I am doing this for You." This makes the everyday sacred.

3. The first fifteen minutes belong to God: Before you check your messages or go through your to-do list, give the first 15 minutes of your day to silence. A short psalm, a spiritual text, or simple silence prepares the ground where your soul can flourish.

   
   

Conclusion:

Discovering the inner monastery means remembering that you are a beloved child of God – right in the midst of the world's hustle and bustle. It is a lifelong journey of practice and gentleness with oneself.

Our invitation to you:

Sometimes your inner monastery needs strengthening so that its foundation and walls stand firm again. If you feel that your battery is empty and you want to immerse yourself deeper into the monastic experience, we invite you to Seligenthal Abbey. Here you can share the rhythm of the monastery with us and return to your life strengthened.