The Loving Medicine Of Silence
Photo©Diana Johanna Velasquez/123rf
The world around us easily lures us into some form of consumption. Whether it be through food, gadgets, or social media, we are pulled and distracted. Even more corrosive is the internal repetition of judging thoughts and stressful emotions that produce an endless cycle of disruption in our minds. Before we know it our inner and outer worlds are entangled in a big mess. For some of us this can happen as soon as we open our eyes in the morning.
We may tell ourselves, “I’ve got to do something to change this stressful existence,” without realizing how effective this directive is in keeping us locked in the very push and pull of the world we wish to release. It’s effective because it’s our ego that issues this directive — the same ego that is easily captivated by the myriad forms of distraction available to us at any moment, such as the belief we must “change this stressful existence.”
Albert Einstein stated, “You can’t solve a problem with the same mind that created it.” Perhaps that is why so many of us attempt to get off the hamster wheel of this push and pull life by eagerly trying as many shiny new things and practices as we can in seeking peace. We may, in the short term, find some modicum of peace, but rarely is there lasting change for us, because we haven’t changed our minds.
To change our mind, we must first heal it. A good place to start is with practicing the gentle, loving medicine of silence.
Silence – so simple – is deeply abundant within and costs us nothing, yet feeds and sustains us endlessly. Unfortunately, though, this gift is usually drowned out by the noise inside and all around us.
Silence is one of our powers. In silence we reclaim our true nature of peace, the master key to all our innate powers and virtues. In deep silence we are able to find the answers and experiences we have been seeking outside of ourselves.
Living in the world of noise requires a lot of attention to the practice of silence. By gently and patiently immersing ourselves in the simple medicine of silence throughout the day, we develop a healing practice, and our minds are no longer so easily pushed and pulled by the noise within and around us.
Brianne McCarthy is a student of Raja Yoga Meditation and a program facilitator at the Brahma Kumaris Meditation Center, A Learning Center for Peace, in Watertown, MA.
