The power of silence

“Silence is the universal refuge, the sequel to all dull discourses and all foolish acts, a balm to our every chagrin, as welcome after satiety as after disappointment.” ~  Henry David Thoreau

Lately, I find myself giving people tips on how to relax or to stay calm or to fall asleep.  Pretty comical coming from a girl who has a history of panic and worry! 

So what are these wonderful tips I've been sharing?  Practicing the art of silence!  Well, more specifically, meditation.

Yes, I have blogged about mindfulness and how to stay present in every day moments (i.e. washing dishes, waiting in line at the grocery store) but for me, meditation takes mindfulness to the next level.  Since getting sick (yes, I still have the facial paralysis but it’s getting better!), I've tried to practice meditation daily.  What’s great about meditation or practicing silence is that you don't need special equipment or a special location or a lot of time; you just need to be able to go within yourself. 

“Silence is a source of great strength.” ~  Lao Tzu

To some, the thought of sitting still and in silence for 5 minutes is terrifying.  I know from experience that because of my lack of love for self, sitting in silence with my self was very painful, and my guess is that it's probably the same for many of you.   In a way, it seems that maybe television, music, talking, eating, shopping, sex and drinking are distractions; things that keep us numb;  that stop us from feeling the pain.  Why are we so afraid of going within?   I have no idea but I'm becoming more aware of these feelings and I'm here to tell you that if you can just sit there in silence for 1 minute, you'll ignite a spark of love for self, and the next time you sit in silence, you'll be able to do it for 2 minutes then 3 minutes, etc... 

Shockingly, I've been able to meditate for 2 hours!  Sure, that's nothing compared to the hours and days spent meditating by many but for me to sit still and in silence for that amount of time (when not sleeping!) is somewhat of a miracle (my mind is usually on overdrive!).  It's amazing to me how time seems to take on a different meaning when you meditate.   Einstein's theory of linear time being an invention of mankind, designed to help us feel focused in space, seems to make sense when meditating.  Not sure how, but it does.  Try it and you'll understand! 

“When meditation is mastered, the mind is unwavering like the flame of a lamp in a windless place.” ~ Bhagavad Gita

There’s something about meditation that makes you feel connected.  Connected to the universe.  Connected to Mother Earth.  Connected to others.  Connected to everyone.  Connected to everything.  Connected to self.  Connected to oneness.  It’s difficult to describe.  You feel completely relaxed in the present.  Through meditation, you start believing that you can create whatever you want on the outside by recognizing the power that is hidden inside.

Meditation has provided many gifts but mostly, it has helped me accept life as it comes, and to not push back on what comes.  By learning to trust that I am exactly where I am supposed to be has significantly reduced my anxiety, panic and worry. 

“Meditation is the art of using one kind of energy to transform another.”  ~ Thich Nhat Hanh

When I read these words in Thich Nhat Hanh’s book “Teachings on Love”, a powerful chord was struck within me.  It helped me realize that it's possible to take a negative emotion such as anger, and turn it into something positive because anger is just energy and all energies can be transformed.  For me, meditation has been a wonderful tool for managing my emotions, or better yet, transforming them!

When I first started to meditate, I really did just focus on the silence.  During times of panic or worry or stress, I reminded myself to go within.  No matter where I was, I could just close my eyes, and be silent.  For whatever reason, silence and peace became synonymous.   My meditation evolved when the silence was being challenged by the sounds of the mind.   I then started to focus on my breath which also resulted in inner peace.  The most recent evolution was manifested with the use of colours in my meditations and that's what I have found myself sharing with the people I love: the power of silence AND colours!

“Colors, like features, follow the changes of the emotions.” ~  Pablo Picasso

As you know I’ve been thinking quite a bit about creativity lately, and thanks to this blog post, I’m beginning to realize that I have found a freedom to create with meditation.  I'm encouraging you to discover the creativity in meditation too! 

If you’ve never meditated or aren’t sure how to use colours with meditation, I found this short video that will help you get started with colour and chakra meditations. 

Regardless of your knowledge of chakras or their associated colours, you can experiment with the different colours.  For example, if you're in a situation where you need to find peace and calmness, close your eyes and try to picture the colour purple.  Try it now!  Can you see the colour?  For me, the colour purple is very calming.  Now try another colour.  How do you feel?  Different colours might have different effects on you.  So feel free to experiment with how you feel when you visualize different colours...red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, purple, white.   If you are unable to see the colours when you close your eyes, don't worry because you're not alone!  Many people have difficulty visualizing colours.  If you can't see the colour, try visualizing an object with that colour.  So if you're trying to visualize purple, try visualizing a purple flower.  Eventually, you will start to see the colours. 

Visualizing colours is also a great way for me to fall asleep.  When I'm lying in bed and can't fall asleep, I start with my first chakra (root chakra) and visualize the colour red then once I can see the colour red in that chakra, I move on to the next chakra which is orange.  Eventually, I just fall asleep.  I guess this method can be considered a creative way of counting sheep  :o)

“Sleep is the best meditation.” ~ Dalai Lama

When you’re ready, you might be interested in experimenting with sound meditation and listening to the sounds beyond silence….

Not sure who to credit for this photo but I love it! 
thanks to Bro for sharing it with me :)