We have created a world with so much noise, haven’t we? 24hrs news programmes and so many TV options, vehicles, machines, music stations and players. 

I went on Instagram the other day as I’m finally acknowledging with reluctance that I need to start working it….for work :). Honestly, I couldn’t stay on long. So much noise and everyone baying to be seen or noticed! Jeez. 

I wonder sometimes if we aren’t addicted to noise now. What do you think?

How comfortable are you with being in your home in silence, with no background TV or radio or podcast or music playing?

Maybe it’s the price of living alone, but I had got into the habit of always having some background “comfort-noise” going on at home. Even if it was classical or inspirational music and podcasts, it was still noise distraction from just being with what is.

On my recent trip to India, with none of these available, I really came to appreciate again the value of more silence. And since returning home, I’ve realised that though it’s the thing we shun so often these days,  being home in the quiet is having a positive impact on my whole being. My mind, heart and nervous system just crave it now, and LOVE to rest, read, work, and practice Yoga… in silence.

And so, as we are “minding the mind” this week, I thought I’d share 7 benefits of putting time aside for Silence so that you might also enjoy some of the nurturance that is given to your brain and your mind in the still and quiet moments.

1. Silence encourages us to be present to the moment, to whatever is taking place right now. Often this is the very thing we avoid, as it can seem a scary thing in a way. We are locked in a habitual loop of staying distracted so that we don’t have to feel those feelings or hear those inner thoughts and belief patterns. And yet, silence can quite soon reveal itself to be the very way back to that which we are truly craving: freedom from a racing mind which starts to quieten in the midst of silence, a nervous system which becomes more steady and quiet as the mind rests into quietness, and less anxiety as thoughts subside, rather than more as we might have feared.
2. In silence, as we become more present to ourselves, we can develop our levels of self-understanding. As the mind becomes more quiet and present, we are able to better witness the habitual thoughts and patterns that run through it and even have the space to enquire into and uncover their source. Knowing the cause that fuels our mental tendencies and the triggers for those tendencies, we are better equipped to release them. In a way, we could say that they dissolve in the light of our awareness. We become less identified with or hooked by them in the presence of more insight and understanding.
3. Resting the brain in moments of silence every day has been shown in clinical lad research to be good for the brain cells, boosting memory and our capacity to learn.
4. Silence helps to reduce stress levels, more even than relaxing music. I have noticed this myself. Studies have shown that it reduces cortisol levels, blood pressure and can enhance blood circulation to the brain.
5. Silence gives the brain time and space to process and digest information and experiences.
6. Giving time to silence each day can also benefit the creative and inspired parts of your brain. The brain needs quiet and calm for creativity to flow.
7. Without so much noise bombarding us all the time, silence help our minds to focus. We can become more productive, effective and efficient when we put time aside for silence.

You don’t need to give hours and hours to silence. Just 15 minutes, 30 minutes a day can make all the difference. As in all Yoga practices, however, regularity is going to be the key. Schedule a duration that you can do regularly. Start with short periods every day perhapd. 

 I used to like to put a day aside for silent home retreat at the weekends when I lived in London. I was commuting and working long hours and this practice was a way to bring my fragmented, stressed mind and nervous system home to the quiet haven of present moment mindfulness.

When I was living in Bahamas, two regular visiting teachers would stay silent each day until 12 noon. I found this remarkable as they were a couple sharing a room! That took some spiritual resolve, don’t you think?! Ha ha. It was surely effective as their teaching delivery was profound and impactful for all of us. 

Silent walking in nature is another way to schedule your daily dose of silence. Turn the phone off and walk with your eyes resting on nature’s beauty and your ears taking in nature’s sounds.  Look into the spaces between objects, and/or take to a listening meditation. Listening to all sounds at once, from the furthest to the nearest, and notice how this can be a device to focus your distracted mind and bring it into the refuge of present moment awareness.

Silence in Sanskrit is “mouna”, and it is a Yogic practice which is at least as important as any other that we might do for our overall health and happiness.

On the Alchemy of Yoga Retreats, we give time to silence at the start of each day so that we can greet the morning fully present to its beauty and the gifts it holds for us, without being drawn into habitual chatter and distractions.

On the NEW! Essence of Yoga Retreats there is going to be a focus on moving into silence through all the practices. Asana, pranayama, mudra, bandha, self-enquiry and sacred chant will lead us into deeply still, nourishind and healing silent sitting.

Please keep an eye on our Calendar of Events for upcoming retreats.