Silence is so underrated

Silence is so underrated.

I've often thought this, but it hit me once again whilst I was running one of my Fresh Air Friday's sessions in Bute park last week. At the beginning of each session we spend around 10 minutes walking together in silence. We tune into our senses, look at what we can see, listen to what we can hear, take in the smells and feel our surroundings. It's so lovely to be in the company of others without needing to speak. It's a luxury, a gift. We spend so much of our time consuming information, talking and thinking, that it can be for some a little uncomfortable at first to be in silence. In a busy world, silence is being squeezed out, every gap is being filled, and so no wonder it can feel noisy and overwhelming.

How much silence do you have in your life? It might be whilst walking the dog, after you've walked the kids to school, when you get in the shower or bath, when reading a book. Maybe you don't notice the silence. We don't always notice the absence of sound. But think of it like this...

Silence is nourishing, it's sacred, it is feeding you mind, body and soul. Silence gives the thinking mind a chance to quieten down, so that our inner wisdom can speak. It allows space for ideas to breathe and grow, for our unconscious mind to figure out a solution to a problem, for us to daydream and reminisce about good times so that we can appreciate and value our life. On a practical level it is essential for us to have time to process the abundant amount of content and information that is poured into us every day. I think without the space for silence we are only allowing ourselves to operate at half capacity and the consequences of continuous stimulation with no gaps to pause and rest will eventually kill our creativity and capacity for joy.

So, my invitation for you today is to notice how much space for silence you have? When you have it, don't be tempted to fill it with superficial chatter or scrolling through your phone. Notice and appreciate it. Think of it as your reset and the absence of sound nourishing you mind, body and soul. Silence is golden.

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash