Listen to The Sound of Silence
 When I moved out of London five years ago, one of the things I looked forward to was the change from urban noise to rural peace and quiet. Perhaps like many people, I tend to equate quietness with calm, contentment and time for reflection. One of the downsides of our modern pace of life however is that even in so-called rural areas, noise continues to encroach – from the busy bypass, on the high street, as the train goes by, from planes overhead…. Inside the home the situation is the same – round the clock television and radio, electronic toys, mobile phone ring tones, and the sound of washing machines, kettles, vacuum cleaners and extractor fans fill the air. Undoubtedly these are all benefits of living in a modern, affluent world, and as such their downsides are something to be accepted. But the real downside of modern living isn’t simply the noise generated. Busy, noisy lives full of sensory stimulation leave little time for periods of reflection, introspection and peace. We need the sound of silence, to paraphrase Simon and Garfunkel, to give us space to think, and to draw upon our inner resources. Our inner resources are both our first and last defence mechanism; it’s no surprise that most organised religions advocate quiet prayer and reflection for connecting with our spiritual selves and with energies, higher powers, call them what you will, to find the answers we need within us. But how can we find silence within the cacophony of modern living? It’s not always easy, but with a little diligence we can all recreate the conditions for quiet reflection, if not the actual silence. Listed below are ten suggestions. (1) Breathe! When everyone is watching TV, find a deserted room upstairs, close your eyes and listen to your breathing. The quiet room merely allows us to concentrate on the only sound – our breaths in and out. Closing our eyes filters out yet another level of distraction and allows us to centre on our breath, and on how it slows down and becomes deeper as we focus on nothing else. Deep breathing is a well-known method for inducing calm and a relaxed, pre-meditative state – both of which are ideal for allowing us to look within and reflect on our day.(2) Maximise Bath Time! When I need time on my own, I book the bathroom, fill the bath with essential oils and turn off the light. I am lucky to have several trees at the bottom of my garden, and with the bathroom window open, the sound of the leaves is very conducive for reflecting. Even if you don’t have trees to listen to, a warm bath with the lights off will allow you time to let your mind wander within as your body relaxes and unwinds - however don’t get too relaxed and fall asleep!(3) Tune in to the weather Although we may prefer hot sunny days, nature provides us with a free and varied programme of inspiration and beauty. Wind, the sound of rain and even distant thunderstorms can provide sounds ranging from serenity to raw energy, and allow us to muse on nature, and our place in it. (4) Put time aside to be alone Now and again I wait until the rest of the house is in bed, then I turn off the lights, find somewhere comfortable to sit (my son’s beanbag is often called upon), I put on some headphones and listen to some (quiet) music or a guided meditation. It helps to let your family know that you’d like some quiet time. If you’re an early bird, the same short routine (10 minutes to half an hour is usually all I need) could be repeated before anyone gets up in the morning.(5) Listen to your favourite music Ideally you should wear headphones, and not have the music on too loud. Classical, ambient or world music probably works best, or at least nothing too brash or upbeat: the aim is to refresh and relax, not to have you dancing around the room! (6) Take a break near water It doesn’t matter what type of water - the sea, a lake or fountain in the park, a running river, babbling brook or even a canal will do. If you have a fish tank, that works as well. The aim is to give some time over to watching the ripples on the water, the bubbles and the ebb and flow, and to tune into our own flow. We are on average composed of 50 – 60% water; the movement of water in nature is re-enacted in our own bodies.(7) Reflect on Nature It can be a tree, a flower, a field, or the stars at night. Notice the natural wonders in your landscape and try to connect with nature. I recently spent a wonderful hour on a balcony while on holiday, gazing at the stars, when I noticed that the night sky appeared very different from the sky at home in the UK. I later realised I’d been reflecting on some pretty big issues in my life, as well as marvelling at the night sky and its beauty and infinite size. Stars, trees and indeed most of inanimate nature are also very quiet! (8) "Power down" Modern life offers us a wealth of truly useful conveniences and appliances, but once in a while, it’s good to turn them all off, at least temporarily. Last autumn we had a complete power cut for two hours, with the whole area within a two-mile radius affected. While it was initially unpleasant, once we had found a torch and lit some candles, the absolute quiet and darkness were a pleasant experience. Whilst not advocating that we pull the fuses, it does help once in a while to draw the curtains, turn off the lights, the TV, PC and Playstation, light a few candles and maybe a stick of incense. If you have a real fire, this is also a great source of quiet contemplation. As you listen to the sound of the clock, or the flickering of the fire, savour the time to relax without an overload of electrical input.(9) Go to bed early This works best when you’re not actually very tired, and you can afford to get up late the following day if needs be. Turn off the lights and concentrate on your breathing, allowing it to slow. Allow the day’s events to play through your mind, but visualise them passing through and beyond your body. If it’s not too cold leave the windows open (if you don’t live on a busy road). We so often have late nights and push our bodies and minds, it’s useful to give something back and retire to bed early, allowing your mind and body to relax and prepare for sleep in its own time. When you do fall asleep, you should feel totally relaxed and healthily tired.(10) Go for a swim Swimming is relaxing in itself, and we can experience a much quieter world underwater. Even if you don’t like to swim underwater, floating or swimming on your back submerges the ears, and temporarily removes us from the noisy outer world. Try to go when the pool will be quiet, and when you can float around uninterrupted. First thing or late at night are probably the best times for this. One of the joys of snorkelling for me is the enclosed and nearly silent inner world just under the surface of the seas, as well as the wonderful sea life. With a little time and effort, we can all find ways to invite peace, quiet and reflection into our lives, even if only for a short while. Reflection allows us to literally reflect back on our own experience and wisdom, and to tap into our inner resources for when life isn’t so peaceful and quiet. Margaret McGoverne is the founder of The Holistic Shop website:
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