Friday, January 7, 2011

Cultivating Silence


How many people do you know who need to have the television or radio on continuously when they are alone? How many people do you know who talk just to fill what they feel is an uncomfortable silence? Silence should not be uncomfortable. Yet many people avoid it like the plague. The reason is that silence offers an opportunity to examine the inner self, something many people simply don’t feel comfortable doing. To open our inner self to the light of day is to acknowledge that some of the behaviors in our lives are not healthy and may not be contributing to the health of the planet. It becomes all the more important to begin this process as the difficulties in the world escalate. Only if we can care for ourselves will we realize the necessity of caring for the Earth. Silence is a wonderful place to start the process.
In silence, life slows down of its own accord. You begin to experience the beauty and joy of life more intensely. Cultivating this serenity brings a deeper appreciation of your own life and the world around you as you begin to truly observe what is happening and as your body learns to relax and function naturally without the blockage that stress and tension bring.
Put aside five minutes in the morning to be silent. No talking, no TV, no radio - just silence. See if you can find one moment where there is absolutely no sound. In today’s bustling world this is much harder than imagined. Try to experience that moment. Keep it with you throughout the day. Spend another silent five minutes in the evening. Notice the feelings that emerge during your silent time. See if you can get used to silence and make it a comfortable feeling. Next try to expand the time frame, ten minutes of silence, an hour, two hours. Refrain from talking for as long as possible for a day. Only speak when spoken to and then reply only after you have taken a moment to think seriously about what the other person said. The silence should be reflected in your actions as well. Try to do everything quietly. It might be helpful to inform those around you before you begin this exercise. They might even decide to join you in silence!

wishing you much peace...

3 comments:

David "Shinzen" Nelson said...

Silence is a wonderful attribute to cultivate. It is amazing how some folks always need a form of stimulation. If they would just stop and listen to their own mind, they would find plenty of entertainment.

Anonymous said...

thanks for the interesting information

Kala Viv Williams said...

Aaron hi, saw you on linked in, as a fellow blogger with some overlapping background (i'm yoga teacher, shiatsu therapist...,) just wanted to connect. Will add blog to my links and such. My blog of 2 years is http://www.embark-lovethelifeyoulive.com/. I blog on the Yoga of Manifestation: Practical Tools to Live the Life of Our Dreams

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...