Why We Should Be Taking a Vow of Silence

Have you noticed what a noisy world we live in?

When at home, many of us have our televisions on while we scroll through Facebook, stopping to watch all the awesome cat or laughing baby videos, all the while, attempting to be semi-engaged in a conversation with our family members.

When we get in our cars, we turn on the radio or listen to our favorite podcasts.  We fill the empty space in our cars with noise.

When we walk the aisles at our grocery store, ads or music (subliminally sending us messages to buy more) are streaming from above.

When in the company of others, most of us find it awkward when there are those rare moments of silence that settle over the conversation.  It’s our nature to want to fill that silence with words.

Have you experienced a time lately when you’ve actually sat with silence?

Silence can feel thick.  I know that sounds weird, but some of you know what I mean.  There is a heaviness that accompanies silence–not a bad heaviness—one that’s like an old cotton hand-made quilt.

Silence is loud itself, but not in a noisy way.  I know this sounds weird, too.  The loudness of silence I’m talking about can feel deafening–in a good way.

There’s an art to sitting with silence.  I imagine we could learn a thing or two from the monks who take life-time vows of silence.  I’m not suggesting you and I need to take a vow of silence to that degree, but I am suggesting that we vow to take a few minutes each day to sit with silence.

Friends, our brains were not created to be stimulated and firing at all times, so consider your daily vow of silence as a means to caring for the one body, and all its contents, which you’ve got to carry you through the remainder of your time here on earth.

It’s not easy sitting with silence because our minds have a tendency to wander and race.  I could write an entire post on methods of managing and facilitating your quiet time, but for today, let me arm you with one helpful tip: Breath in and breath out, taking deep steady breaths.  Breathing this way is good for you both physically and mentally.  Deep breathing releases endorphins and increases the flow of oxygen through your body, which aid in pain management, stress relief, and increased energy.

Here’s my challenge for you today.  Plan a daily retreat to get away and have quiet time.  Some of us may find it harder than others to find that place of retreat in our lives, but even if you have to go and sit in your car in the driveway to get a few minutes of quiet, that’s OK.

Two minutes, five minutes, 10 minutes….just allow yourself some time to just sit in silence and breathe deeply.

Not only will you enjoy the benefits of this time but those around you will, too.  Enjoy, and let’s see if we can’t all make this a daily practice.

As always, I appreciate you spending time with me here today.

Please share my blog with your friends, family, and co-workers.

Have a great day!

Jill xx

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