“Silence is one of the great arts of conversation.” ~Marcus Tullius Cicero

Sometimes there are no words to express what you want to say. In these situations, silence is the only or most eloquent response. Your silence carries with it as much meaning as your words—if not more.

Silence can be the best answer to anger and the most exquisite revenge for an insult. Silence is the true friend that never betrays you. It’s your companion when time stands still—in joy and sorrow.

We don’t have enough silence in our lives. We have language, music and a whole range of sound waves—natural and manmade.

If we look within and reflect upon the most profound experiences in our lives, we realize that they were born and shrouded in silence. Let’s start today by appreciating silence and inviting more into our lives.

The power of silence

Silence is essential to our everyday living. Its importance goes unnoticed most of the time. Below are some of the amazing benefits of silence.

Meaning

Silence is the space that defines our spoken words. It’s what punctuates our writing. Without silence, there is no meaning to our spoken or written words.

Rhythmic silence is what accentuates musical notes and beats. It turns them into music—full of texture and emotion.

Rest

Silence regulates the energy force within you—with every pause between an inhale and exhale.

Silence is life catching its breath. It’s the solitude of the universe.

Creativity

Silence is the space behind the incessant mental noise. It’s in this space that genius is born and ideas start to flow.

Silence is the home of your purest thoughts. It quiets the chatter and opens up the heart—the source of all true creation.

Awareness and clarity

Silence filters the noise and renews our sense of wonder and appreciation.

When we’re quiet, we experience life—raw and unadulterated. We allow life to experience us, as we are—innocent, naked, and vulnerable.

Silence awakens us to the beauty that surrounds us—in its minutest detail—and the magnificence that reside within —at its innermost core.

“In the attitude of silence the soul finds the path in a clearer light, and what is elusive and deceptive resolves itself into crystal clearness. Our life is a long and arduous quest after Truth.” ~Mahatma Gandhi

Surrender and peace

Silence dampens down fear and doubt. It dissolves resistance to what is. In silence, we surrender and gain perspective. We curb the reactive and preprogrammed responses. We open up to possibilities in any given situation.

To awaken, accept and appreciate is peace within—unity with life and all of creation.

How to invite more silence into your life

The best way to have more silence in your life is to become aware of the inner and outer noise. Then consider the following (as examples of) action steps:

Contemplate in solitude. Sit and reflect on your days, experiences and thoughts in a quiet place. It’s best to do this in the early hours of the morning or late at night. Be still and listen for the silence in between rhythmic sounds, like a clock ticking, or pay attention to the pause in your breath as you transition from inhaling to exhaling.

Listen more than you talk. Resist the urge to have a say about everything. When you make a conscious decision to just listen, the desire to say something starts to subside. In this space you listen—truly listen—and connect with others.

Turn off the background noise. Work with your thoughts and what you’re doing–no radio, music or anything else to distract you. Notice how you feel. If you feel uncomfortable in the beginning, that’s okay. You will get used to it. You will also start tuning in to the sounds that were not so obvious to you—you’ll enhance your senses.

Take a few minutes on a regular basis and be still. Breathe and sense the life around you. Try not to have a mental dialogue. And if you have one, wrap it up gently and go back to your stillness. This is what feeds your soul.

Limit your exposure to noise. Set a time limit or create a certain time of the day, for activities that add to the physical and mental noise you consider uninspiring—loud music, the nonstop stream of updates on facebook or twitter, the barrage of emails or reality/gossip TV. You don’t need to eliminate them. Balance the noise with quiet activities like reading, meditation, journaling, writing or more contemplation.

In silence, you will find wisdom, peace—and most importantly—yourself.

“ Silence is deep as Eternity.”~Thomas Carlyle

Photo credit