This month, I selected words related to quiet or peaceful pursuits. Sometimes it’s important to slow down and appreciate the beauty of the world around us. In the winter, we may have to look a little harder to see past the slush or dreary days when the sun forgets to shine.
If we stop to listen to the stillness, we may be gifted with a memory of laughter… playing in the snow with the ones we love, or laying on the beach during that perfect vacation. Perhaps we need a walk in the woods to contemplate the vastness of the universe and realize our place in it.
Anechoic -free from echoes and reverberations. Submarines are treated with anechoic coatings to reduce sonar returns. This is an English word derived from Middle English, Medieval Latin, and Greek words for echo and the absence of an echo. It came into use during the 1940s.
Boketto – (Japanese) The act of gazing vacantly into the distance without a thought.
Ciùineas – (Middle Irish) peacefulness and tranquility.
Deamflum – (from the word, dream and the French word “flum” meaning stream or flow) The calm, dreamlike state experienced when listening to a natural waterfall.
Elysian – (Greek) Peaceful or perfect. Divinely inspired; beautiful or creative.
Novalunosis – The state of wonderment and relaxation you feel when looking up at the stars. This word comes from nova (bright star), Luna (moon), and Osis (a condition). It was coined by Gregory Venvonis on the Vowlenu Lexicon.
Shinrinyoku – (Japanese) A “forest bath.” Taking a walk in the forest for its restorative benefits.
Wu Wei – (Chinese) The concept of conscious non-action. To embrace the flow instead of trying to force or achieve an outcome or result.
Yugen – A profound awareness of the universe that triggers feelings too mysterious and deep for words. A kind of speechlessness. This is a Japanese concept. The word and original concept originated in Chinese schools of thought such as Buddhism, Laozi, and Zhuangzi.
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