What do a power cut and a Sudanese mountain have in common?
Silence, sweet Silence! They can get you back to your source.
The Power (Cut) and the Beauty!
This evening, just as I was about to put my daughter's favourite
meal - home made vegetable lasagne - into the oven, the lights
went off. A power cut had us standing slightly helpless in the
dark.
Luckily, the house is full of candles and my solar powered torch
always works, so we fumbled our way to the fuse box and then to
the door to find the street lights were off and everyone around
us was in darkness too. This was a first for us and I liked it.
My daughter was a little disappointed at having to replace
lasagne with bread and cheese, but there we sat by candle light
and made plans of what to do if this lasted for days. We felt a
little adventurous and talked about what it would have been like
to live without electricity, how people who have long power cuts
in freezing conditions cope...
And then, we noticed the silence - no buzz from the PC, no
music, no tv. My cell phone battery was flat, so I was
unreachable. How strangely liberating that was!
We went for a walk to find out how many houses or streets were
affected. Despite the October drizzle and the unusual darkness,
the sky seemed brighter than usual. But it was the silence that
felt best.
In our civilised world it is virtually impossible to experience
true silence. There is almost always the buzz of 'something'
around. Some years ago I had my most profound experience of
total stillness.
The Stillness of the Desert
Whilst in the deserts of Sudan, I left the little group I was
travelling with for a while to climb up a solitary mountain
(well, a rather high hill, really). Once I sat up there, I felt
'on top of the world'. But what struck me most was the total and
complete stillness that surrounded me.
Not a car, no voices, no breeze, not even birds singing. I sat
and stared and thought and after a while my thoughts turned into
silence as well. No-thing became everything. It was one of the
most beautiful experiences in my life. Ever since, I have loved
the sound of silence.
Many people find silence unbearable. They need a background
'noise'. Have you ever thought about why? Simple really, it
stops your inner voice from coming through. As long as there is
chatter, whether external or internal, you don't have to face
'you'. Whatever memories or fears may be lurking in the depths
of the subconscious mind can't be heard against the deafening
din of 'civilised' life.
Silence Heals
The downside is, you also can't heal your Self. You suppress all
the undigested 'junk food' of your life and keep it in your
system. Not a nice thought.
If you want progress, you have to get comfortable with silence
at some point - the sooner the better. But how? Let's face it -
to sit on a mountain, alone in the middle of nowhere where you
simply can't help but understand the true depth of just 'being',
is not something you get to do every day.
Apart from turning off radios, phones, TV's, buzzing PC's - how
can you turn off your buzzing mind?
Here's How!
By doing what my Alexander Technique teacher showed us last
week...
Lie on your back , your knees raised and your feet flat on the
floor (or mattress). Rest your hands on your tummy and stretch
your arms a little (creating a V-shape at the side of your body)
to create room in your chest to breathe. Rest your head on
nothing but a flat book and feel the blanket or mattress beneath
you support your spine.
We did that during our lesson and it was wonderful. Lying in
silence, doing nothing, our bodies supported by the floor (or
bed, if you prefer). Normally, I meditate sitting up - this was
almost better, as I could totally relax my spine and let my mind
float in silence on the waves of my breath.
When the Lights Came Back Up
Now the power at home has returned, I felt I had to share my
thoughts on silence before the noise of the world rushes back
in. Perhaps one day I'll stand with my daughter on a mountaintop
in Sudan - but until then, I'll use every opportunity to teach
her - and myself - the power of silence.
About the author:
Annett Tate helps people find their inner silence through her
"Subtle Energy" seminars. Her website is a treasure trove of
information on stress management, relaxation, meditation,
self-hypnosis, and much more.
www.stress2bliss.com
