Finding Inner and Outer Silence
When was the last time you were somewhere that was completely quiet? It seems like a funny question but it’s a real and honest one. Often in our lives we might find a quiet place to walk or meditate but is it void any noise? Often not! There are few completely quiet places in the world and around the US.
What Inspired Me
Gordon Hampton is founder of The One Square Inch of Silence Foundation based in Indianola, Washington. He travels around the world looking for quiet places and records them. According to his travels, there are only 12 places in the US the he considers to be completely quiet. This podcast interview with Gordan Hampton that On Being created, inspired me to think about the quiet spaces I find in my life and analyze how quiet they truly are. I went to my sitspot in the woods and listened. I heard airplanes, cars, construction noises and voices. Coming home to a TV on during all waking hours for my grandfather and business always going on, it inspired me to write this blog post.
Get Silent, Inside and Out
While there are few quiet places around the world, that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t find a quieter place each day to find inner and outer stillness. Our lives are so busy, when we are bored we turn on music, a movie, we call a friend, while all that is important and plays a role we are missing out on the benefits of stillness.
Benefits of Silence
Silence “REDUCES activity in the sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight) and INCREASES activity in the parasympathetic nervous system (rest and digest).” You feel a sense of peace and calm. Your worries grow smaller, the more you spend time in inner and outer quiet places.
Stillness brings you into the moment. It is difficult to make the wrong decision when you are fully present in your body and in your environment.
Quieting the mind aids you in getting to what really matters. It helps you prioritize and focus on the big picture.
Silence breeds gratitude. It gives you the perspective and space to look at your life and appreciate all the things that are going right.
How to Implement More Silence in Your Life
There are many ways to incorporate more quiet into your life but my favorite would have to be forest bathing, more specifically developing a sitspot. I have a free PDF and 30 day challenge you can sign up for to really take action toward creating that healthy space in your life.
