Silence

I was sewing last week and decided to turn off the television.  It was late at night and everyone was asleep in the house.  The windows were open and a storm was coming.  I could hear the wind blowing through the trees while crickets chirped near the pond behind my house.  It was then that I was reminded of the calming affect silence could have.  It was so peaceful just to sit and listen.

When I teach yoga we think about clearing our minds.  Being surrounded by silence allows us to tune into our internal chatter.  With distracting background noise we can't always hear our inner monologues.  When I am paying attention to the conversations in my mind I can let things go.  I can honor my worries and calm my fears.  I can release tension I am carrying around.  When I leave class not only am I physically tired but I feel renewed with an uncluttered mind.

At school I have a quiet time in my classroom.  Everyone in the room stops and spends some quiet time by themselves either reading, drawing, writing or resting.  It is the time during the day that kids enjoy the most.  Wouldn't it be fabulous to have our own quiet time during our workday?  It would be a time when all phones are off, coworkers have their own quiet time and email and texting are unavailable.


Take time to find silence each day.  Go for a run without an ipod.  Eat dinner with the television off.  Practice yoga without any background music.  Drive somewhere without the car radio on.  Experience silence.