Silence is something that comes from your heart not from outside. Silence doesn’t mean not talking and not doing things, it means that you are not disturbed inside.
Thich Nhat Hanh
Welcome to Day Four of Enliven Your Spirit
All great spiritual traditions place a premium on silence and stillness. Intentionally making space to cultivate a kind of inner quiet is essential to enlivening your spirit. To begin, it is through silence and stillness that we come to know ourselves fully. The American theologian and civil rights leader Howard Thurman writes, “There is something in every one of you that waits and listens for the sound of the genuine in yourself,” for “a deeper note which only the stillness of the heart makes clear.” Making time for quiet reflection is also how we metabolize the daily experiences of our lives. Through silence and stillness, we discover meaning and we deepen understanding. Those moments you feel fully alive? Your daily sensory experiences? Your inner mystic taking center stage? All of these are supported and integrated through silence and stillness.
To be clear, while an internal kind of quiet can be supported by external conditions to match, silence does not necessarily mean lack of sound, and stillness does not always mean without movement. Silence and stillness are inner qualities that can be nurtured in many ways, even by things that appear neither silent nor still — taking a walk or playing music, doing yoga or writing in your journal. Br. David Steindl-Rast describes silence “not only as [something] perceived by the ears, but also a quietness of the heart, a lucid stillness inside.” What matters is setting aside the time to go inward, to slow down a racing or distracted mind, and to push pause on the demands of daily life — whether for five minutes, an hour, or a whole day.
Today’s Practice: Schedule Time for Silence and Stillness
To begin, watch and listen to this 4-minute video with Br. David, in which he talks about the ways that cultivating silence allows him to go deep inside to a vast openness and spaciousness, something “beyond words.”
After watching the video, use the following steps to design your day with specific opportunities for silence and stillness. Approach this with a sense of lightness and ease; create something that will actually work for you!
Step One: Schedule
Schedule three moments during your day when you can pause and make space for silence and stillness, when you can try to access and cultivate some quiet within. It can be as little as one minute or as long as you’d like. Write down these “appointments,” including start and end times. If helpful, set an alarm to remember to pause.
Step Two: Enter into Silence and Stillness
At each of your scheduled appointments, enter into silence and stillness by whatever path works for you. You may have a longstanding practice or be looking for something new. Here are a few ideas to consider:
- Find a comfortable place to sit or even lie down. Place your hand on your heart, and tune in to the quiet of your breath for a full minute. You might ask yourself, “How is my heart in this moment?”
- Spend five minutes in quiet reflection about something you’re grateful for today. Pay attention to any feelings that arise when you’re focused on what you appreciate and cherish.
- Step outside without headphones. Amidst the sounds of the natural world, listen closely for the stillness, the pauses between birdsong, dogs barking, cars passing. Attune to the quiet spaces between things.
Step Three: Reflect
At the end of the day, consider the following:
- How did your three appointments with silence and stillness feel in real time, and how did they collectively impact or shape your day?
- What worked, and what was challenging?
- What were you able to “hear” amidst the silence and stillness?
- Going forward, how might the consistent practice of welcoming silence and stillness contribute to a feeling of spiritual aliveness for you? What do you hope to continue doing each day?
Scroll to the bottom of the page (or click here) to find the Community Conversation space where we invite you to share your reflections about today’s practice.
Deepening Resource
In this stunning poem by Chilean poet Pablo Neruda, read beautifully (English translation) by Pavathy Menon, we’re invited to consider how we might be changed, both individually and collectively, if everyone around the planet could somehow be quiet and still together. “It would be an exquisite moment,” the poet writes. “Perhaps a great silence could interrupt the sadness.” Imagine the possibilities.
Keeping Quiet by Pablo Neruda, read by Pavathy Menon
Research Highlight
Neuroengineer Bin He of Carnegie Mellon University turned to a group of people known to be among the most skilled at cultivating an inner quietness of the mind and heart — Tibetan monks with an average of 15 years of daily meditation practice. Through brain studies of the monks, Bin He and his colleagues noted decreased brain activity when in a resting state — in other words, a distinct ability to quiet the mind. Michael Posner of the University of Oregon has also studied the impact of meditation that quiets the mind, pointing out its resulting benefits of increased attention, mood elevation, and reduced stress — even among those new to the practice.
Sukel, Kayt. Understanding the Power of Meditation. Brainfacts.org, with support from the Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research at Broad Institute, 19 April 2019.
Photo by Andre Hunter
I had my first planned moments of stillness on a long walk with a friend along a beautiful creek this morning. I arrived a little early and stood on the bridge and listened to one of my favorite sounds, water flowing over rocks that were jutting up from the water. I just breathed in the tranquility and then reminded myself to be still inside even once Ann came, and we walked and chatted. I came home from that very lovely time and took my dogs for a walk – not still, but there is a peacefulness in meandering with no phone and two dogs who want to sniff every fascinating thing along the way. I focused on their curiosity and their keen sense of smell and sound. Before I had my third planned ‘space for silence,’ I began to feel a little anxious about how little I was getting accomplished in the day and it was a challenge to take the time anyway. Even though I know the to-do list will get done – it is still a source of discomfort for me. I almost skipped it but went ahead and did my chair yoga, a short practice that I do each day to center myself and work on improving my balance. I started this practice around the time I learned I’ll become a grandma in April and that is my motivation. As I prepare to begin, I light a candle on a tiny alter that I made in celebration of the love and connection I already feel and for the time I look forward to sharing with him soon. I really love it when I find the stillness and can quiet that nagging voice. I am now looking at what I can push off until tomorrow so that I finish my day having completed some tasks while (mostly) staying present, pausing for stillness, and really feeling the beauty in the quiet, inner focus. I like the idea of making space for silence and stillness, and that is what I will focus on, looking ahead at each day and scheduling time. I always walk the dogs, I always do the yoga (although sometimes I argue with myself about it), and I will find one other thing each day – maybe just a moment all by myself outside, breathing in all of the blessings.
I will be able to take time for silence and stillness only a bit later, today was filled up with left overs and urgent to dos before leaving for some days visiting my father tomorrow, so i hope to be able to open up to stillness more the days ahead and come back to this area then to reply. I will try to open up to stillness by possibly perceiving gaps inbetween during my 8 h. trip by train, curious if this will be possible among a pretty crowded train compartiment. Thank you for this day, and thank you for my dear friends and for the many things i may look after with joy. Grateful for you all and all beyond.
So what i did the last two days since i wrote the above was finding some still moments, only very short, but at least they were present for a short while, during meditation in the morning, during reflecting about how to. come more into a state of equanimity and peace during turbulent inner states. And it worked, at least for several moments, and by repeating this, i feel much calmer in general, more open for what is and less in thoughts about the past or future. It made it possible to open up to what is, and following the flow of energy not knowing where it will lead me to but to leave a kind of old inner position of being a victim and that i don´t have to be afraid, this is past long gone, possibly making space for something yet to come, to leave it open and to welcome whatever may be. A proposal one of my dear friends said today, and Yes. just like this. I am deeply grateful for my dear friend who really helped me sort out things in a positive way, as do your timely questions. Thank you again dearly.
Without structure and repetition, it’s easy to forget. I’ve been training myself to practice gratitude by making it the last thing I consider before falling asleep and the first thing when I wake up. That ritual helps me remember. Reading about stillness reminded me of my grandmother, the only person in my family who used to pray aloud before every meal. My intention now is to follow her example, not with prayer but with silent introspection, before every meal, every day. With practice I won’t have to remember. My habit will remember for me.
That is a wonderful idea, Robert, a moment of silent introspection before a meal, thus making it a tiny habit that will happen automatically. That practice will also aid your digestion because slowing the breath and being more mindful about your food is good for the gut and for the rest of you. Be well.
In stillness,
Silence speaks.
To my heart.
Not to part
With my True Self.
Always there,
Always cares.
If I listen. . . listen. . . listen. . .