The Sound of Silence

I am aware that many people turn on the television or radio as the first thing they do when they wake up in the morning. Many people keep the car radio on as the default position. What would happen if you decided to spend some of that time in silence instead? Paul Wilson discusses this in the chapter entitled, "The Conditions of Calm", in his book, Instant Calm.

If you want to be peaceful, if you want to relax, go searching for silence. Absorb it, immerse yourself in it, hang on to it as long as possible. Because in silence can you achieve real calm.
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Go and take a pew in an empty church or temple one day. Sit there a few moments and meditate... Absorb the atmosphere of absolute peace and calm that permeates. Unless you have any strong anti-religious feelings, you will feel relaxed in a very short time. Is it some sort of spiritual energy that achieves this? Is it an air of otherworldliness that allows you to feel this way? For the most part, it will be the silence.

Silence - especially when used creatively - is one of the most powerful counterbalances to stress and anxiety.

Silence is at the root of most relaxation and meditation techniques. (Yes, I know many meditation techniques are based on sounds. But generally these are repeated sounds which, in effect, become hypnotic drones not far removed from silence. ) Silence is only a few short stops away from calm.

Try giving yourself some silence as a gift. And remember, there's an opportunity for meditation practice right here at the Center every day of the week - 365 days a year. We practice supportive silence; it's not the silence that's a blank void, but rather the silence that emerges from the spiritual energy of people meditating together. The silence is rich and the solidarity is wonderfully supportive.