Shhhh! Quit talking for just a moment. And listen. What is the sound of silence?
Every day in every way, we are bombarded by sounds. The loud sounds of the TV and the blare of car horns. Dogs barking and roosters crowing (at least where I live!). Children crying and people laughing. We have become so accustomed to noise every moment, we’ve forgotten what quiet can sound like. Or what good comes from being quiet, sitting in the silence, listening to — nothing.
Another name for sitting in the silence is “meditation,” a word that really frightens a lot of people. We hear “I can’t meditate.” “I can’t sit still.” ” I can’t quiet my thoughts.” Or can you?
Try it for just a moment. Turn everything off. Sit still. If you need to, put on noise-blocking headphones (good for people in cities or buses or planes). Breathe. Concentrate. Listen. Can you do this? Do you find yourself fidgeting, distracted, missing something? We have become afraid of the silence, afraid of what we might hear when there is nothing to hear. Stop. Breathe. Listen.
This exercise is perhaps one of the most daunting experiences we have as humans. To completely relax, de-stress, be in our own space of silence and stillness. One can hear the voice of one’s own soul when we are quiet. What would your soul say to you if you could hear it speak?
For more on meditation, see M is for Meditation – Why? Hmmm?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=debgoWX1tLU
