The benefits of silence:

 

When we quieten down our speaking, our thinking may initially seem very “loud” and active, but over time there is an opportunity for getting in touch with an inner stillness as the mind begins to settle. The mind starts to let go of concepts and naming, liking and disliking, wanting and not wanting, the running commentary, the explaining, the story telling, and so on. The mind can start to get in touch with a deeper awareness and a stillness which is a natural part of our being.

We may become aware of the energy which we usually invest in speaking and our habitual modes of communication and how tiring this can be! In contrast, we may find that over a period of silent practice we build up a more positive energy and that we can feel soothed by silence and the freedom from the pressures to speak.

Most importantly, we may find that we can meet ourselves more fully and come home to ourselves more deeply in these moments, even if this means getting in touch with some parts of ourselves, or some emotions, which we have been avoiding for some time.

Here are some comments from past course participants on the silent session:

“I felt quite liberated”.

“Silence and freedom from the pressure to talk was glorious and made me aware of myself in a very warm, invigorating and pleasant way”.

“Whole day session of not speaking was a powerful exercise. I was able to be in touch with a sadness that I have denied, but feeling safe and contained to do so”.

“Full day session was very important to me – to experience the cumulative effect of several meditation sessions, silence and lack of eye-contact was very powerful”.

We hope that you will feel nourished in your silent practice!