Along a long straight stretch of country road we stopped for a moment. The dirt had turned a deep red, the air was still and slightly warm. The barren countryside was vast and intriguing while the smell of hay, leaves and smoke was gentle. Despite this immense view, the most notable for me was not a sight or a smell, it was the silence. The air was still, not a car nor human nor machine could be heard. No animals rustling, no birds chirping no breeze blowing. Just silence....
I closed my eyes and felt the silence in my ears. So quiet was the moment it became almost tangible. At home on the coast there are always birds squawking, dogs barking, breezes swaying, planes flying, humans chattering or waves crashing. Here it was still. Silent. I took some deep breaths, pressed pause on my day and registered this feeling to memory. The gravel crunched under my feet as I walked back to my car. This gift of silence had come at the perfect time and had pushed re-set on my always moving mind.
​​
Silence is something with which i'm still not entirely comfortable. I have a very active mind which is often difficult to quieten. Sitting still is also not one of my strong points. If I am sitting I am often writing or reading or listening or talking or creating. Over the past couple of months, with the help of yoga, and some amazingly wise yoga advisors, I have begun listening to the silence, embracing the quiet and encouraging it. In the past I have often processed silence as nothingness. In reality that couldn't be further from the truth. Recently an aspect of my life which was very vocal, very un-silent was removed. In place of this influence, this noise came a big silence, a silence with which I was at first extremely uncomfortable. It was and remains a difficult silence to hold. However with time the quiet has been healing. The silence has enabled other thoughts, other ideas to creep out of the quiet. Ideas and thoughts which had previously gone unheard.
In this busy life and world it is often difficult to stop and embrace quietness. Ironically, as with many lessons in life, the harder it is to do, the more it needs to be done. It can be as simple as taking some deep breaths, letting your mind flow free and letting the busy chatter take a backseat. It is not about stopping your mind or stopping the noise, it is about sitting quietly with your mind, letting the noise simmer down and encouraging the calm to grow. Recently, yoga and meditation have been essential life guiders and encouragers that I am so thankful to have found. I am continually learning and adapting, expanding my mind while finding my centre. Listening to the calm and quieting the chatter.
Remember, even if only momentarily, to enjoy the quiet and embrace the silence, your mind and heart will thank you.
Peace and Love
The Little Earthling