“True silence is the rest of the mind; it is to the spirit what sleep is to the body, nourishment and refreshment.” ~William Penn

“The beauty we love is very silent. It smiles softly to itself, but never speaks.”

This winter past, I took up skate skiing, at the gentle prodding of my husband and after a few frustrating sessions getting the hang of it, I soon found myself loving the sport. I loved the act of sliding over the snow and facing the ups and downs of the rolling hills on our favourite trail.

What struck me one morning as we were alone, on the freshly groomed trail, was the intensity of the sound of silence. We had paused to have a breather and as soon as my body stopped, my ears perked up and enveloped the peacefulness surrounding us. Silence in nature is certainly not complete… after a mere moment, I could discern the quiet chirping of a lone bird, invisible to the eye and the soft plonk of snow falling off the tree. But it amazed me how much more connected to nature and to myself I felt after even a short period of silence. It’s a moment in time where everything stops, akin to the art of meditation, where the mind ceases its endless chatter and you are alive in the moment.

In our chaotic busy lives, we often miss opportunities for silence and appreciation, yet, after my experience in the snow, I was left for a powerful longing for more. And after some more thinking on it, I realized that we can all create silence in our lives and thus benefit from its healing powers. A quiet moment in a room, looking out a window, a visit to a park, stopping to crouch down and look at the natural world around you… it is possible, even if you live in a city setting.

I encourage you to take a moment each day for this practice… it is not only soothing, it opens up creativity, brings up feelings of peace and happiness and helps you to feel more grounded and present in the moment.

That’s not bad for a few minutes of silence.

“When you become aware of silence, immediately there is that state of inner still alertness. You are present. You have stepped out of thousands of years of collective human conditioning.” ~ Eckhart Tolle

Dawn

26 March 2012