How do you feel in silence? Does it feel uncomfortable, or is it a relief? What does it do for you?
I love silence and solitude. It helps me in many ways, and is something that I crave.
Here are some of the benefits that I have experienced in the practice of silence:
1. Calm the nervous system
As an introvert and an empath, I can easily be overwhelmed by noise. Telephone, TV, radio, traffic, talking…the noise just keeps building until I need to get away and have some silence. In this way, the quiet helps to calm my system and regroup.
2. Quiet the mind and improve intuition
Silence can also be a way to quiet the mind and tap into the intuition. Many years ago, when I was trying to expand my intuition, I turned off the radio and rode in my car in silence. I stopped watching TV, and eliminated any extra noise from my life. Sitting outside in nature, reading a book, journaling or just being quiet became my regular activities. I didn’t go completely silent, I still talked to the people in my life, but I made a point to allow for silence each day.
I did this for almost 2 years. No TV, no music, no extra noise. You may think this sounds like torture, but for me, it was extremely freeing. I thrived in it.
3. Expand awareness
In this time of silence, I was able to connect more deeply with my deeper self. My intuition improved as I was able to quiet my mind and listen. With heightened senses, I became more attuned to the feelings and sensations in my body. I was more open to the messages that came to me at all times and from all around me. I became more grounded and connected to the earth and also with spirit. The decreased distraction enabled me to be more present, and to expand my awareness to all that was happening around me.
4. Discernment
The noise reduction in my life also allowed me to discern how each stimulation affected me. Some felt more negative, heavy and draining, while some felt positive by either calming or re-energizing me. This made it easier to choose what I wanted to add back in. Eventually I did add some music back in, but made sure that it was music that was uplifting and inspiring to me. I became more choosy about the books that I read, avoiding anything that was dark or negative.
Daily practice of silence
You don’t need to be as extreme as I was to find appreciation of silence. Just take some time each day to be quiet and see what the silence has for you. It may take a while to get comfortable in that space, without trying to fill it. That’s ok. Just keep practicing a little bit each day, and be open to the unexpected gifts that may come your way.
This time of silence provided many blessings. I received a new appreciation of how much can be gained in silence. It is not an empty void. There is a treasure trove of gifts to be received if you can allow yourself to go there.
Start a daily practice of silence and see what is awaiting you. As they say, “Silence is golden.”
