What comes up in the silence?

The Feeling of Mindfulness

Hearing your own footsteps in the snow-silenced world. 
Hearing the waves that tickle your toes, one bird in the distance. 
Hearing your own breath in Child’s Pose.  
The sound of silence.  Special.  profound. 
But what comes up in the silence?  

For those in a busy season of life, the first moments of silence brings a feeling of relief.  Nobody is needing us - ahhh.  And then as our breath slows down, our mind slows down.  We are so used to go-go-go that this slowing down often feels numb, dazed, tired.  We may even fall asleep.  For others in a quieter season, who fill our minds with music or reading or tv, the first moments of silence may feel antsy, bored, or lonely.

If we grant ourselves a longer silence with a solo hike, a Yin Yoga class, a large stretch of beach with no phone… it may last long enough for the next stage to set in.  We slowly uncurl. Maybe to an undercurrent feeling of peace or sadness or thankfulness.  We are open. 

But for many of us, this stage of opening also opens us up to the unwelcome voices.  Our stupid mistakes, our embarrassing words, our long-held regrets begin to creep into our well-earned silence.  Our plans, our worries, they seep in. Gently rocking at our newly silenced mind.  

Yoga classes practice for exactly this!  Yoga teaches how to focus our thoughts on our bodies.  We notice our fingers, the angle of our feet, the placement of our hips.  We become aware of our deep muscles and our breath.  It works like a thin, Saran Wrap of protection against those unwelcome thoughts.  There are other practices that can create this mindfulness - meditation, prayer, learning to watch nature as we hike. 

No wonder we keep our minds conveniently busy! After we get past the sleepiness, silence takes a lot of practice!  Of course, in our hearts, we know the benefits of opening up - of feeling - of being present in the silence.  It’s worth the practice of silence.

Until next time,

Laura