Silence Please!!
Have you ever noticed how little time people spend in silence? I mean actually being quiet, without their phone attached to their ears or thumbs and no radio blaring or TV droning? Look around, folks everywhere and I mean everywhere are obsessively attached to a device. In the stores, in their cars. I’ve heard ladies on the phone in the bathroom stalls and in the changing rooms of a department store. And have you seen the couples at a restaurant sitting across from each other, heads down, on their phones texting or web surfing? No words pass between the couple.
My theory is; as convenient as cell phones have become, people have become more afraid of silence. To the point they almost feel they cease to exist if there is no connection on the other end. Or, perhaps they are avoiding silence because they don’t want to have to look at their perceived misfortunes or problems. And people wonder why they are so stressed, why bad things happen to them. It’s because they are not paying attention to what is going on, on the inside of their head and hearts. Yes, People have become disconnected from themselves and keep seeking on finding the answers in the next phone call or on the internet. Really people need to stop talking and start listening, to themselves, to their heart. It is speaking loudly but they can’t hear it above all the other noise.
Silence seems scary, as it implies being alone or isolated. However, it is quite the contrary. In silence we find answers to our life’s questions and dilemmas. Try it sometime. The best way to experience silence is to take a walk in nature. Your mouth is quiet as you pay closer attention with your ears, eyes, nose, and touch. Listen to the birds and watch them fly, feel the bark on a tree, smell the changing scents in the air. In silence, we come to truly know ourselves and that makes us feel more confident, less insecure.
Another effective means to try on silence is in an aquatic bodywork called WATSU. You float in warm water with the assistance of the therapist. As she moves you slowly through the water, you become keenly aware of your own body as it relaxes. The weightlessness and sensory reduction of being in the water transports you to an almost meditative state. In the water the world is quiet but you can hear your own breathing and safely go within yourself without getting lost.
Monks take a vow of silence in order to become enlightened, not only about themselves but about the world around them. They learn to communicate without speaking. They learn love and compassion by listening.
In silence, we can go within ourselves to find our own enlightenment of who we truly are. To schedule a watsu session and experience the depth of silence and peace felt. Visit my website at http://www.fullcirclewellnessllc.com, or visit me on Facebook at fullcirclewellnessllc. These sessions are given at the AtlantiCare LifeCenter in Egg Harbor Township, NJ.