"Listen to silence. It has so much to say" - Rumi
Our days are filled with endless chores and our to-do lists feel like a never-ending story. Inevitably, we fill our days with some mindless scrolling on our phones.
Take a moment and reflect on the following question, with no harsh judgement of yourself. How do you spend most of your time? Is it in front of a screen? Or do you spend time connecting meaningfully with other people, or in nature or doing things you enjoy and that are nurturing?
It’s likely the answer is that you spend more time in front of your screen than just about anything else. We aren’t here to judge or make you feel bad about it, we also feel the same way about our own lives. And we eagerly anticipate a weekend of silence and re-connection. Awareness of how we spend our time is the key here.
Even though we may be sitting in silence in front of our screens, that isn’t really true silence. Our minds are bombarded with images and text.The monkey chatter in our brains is going full speed, overthinking and comparing our lives and every detail and nuance of someone else’s.
The literal and emotional noise can be overwhelming even if we are not consciously aware of it.
The anecdote to noise is silence. And silence is achieved through being, rather than doing.
When we have no distractions (good-bye phone!), we are able to begin returning to a state of simply ‘be-ing.’ What does this look like? For each of us it will look a little different.
Perhaps you might slow down enough to watch a leaf flutter to the ground. Maybe you will crouch down and study the absolute marvel of an ant carrying something 100 times its own weight. Or maybe, you might lie on a blanket and stare at the clouds watching as they shape shift, looking for patterns or shapes.
Maybe you prefer indoor activities as a way of being. There are a myriad of ways you can find silence indoors as well. Reading a book that you’ve been trying to finish for the last few months or indulging in a hobby that feels unrealistic in your day-to-day life are great places to start.
In silence, we become mindful. Mindful of the movement of the leaf as it moves through the air, mindful of the feel of the materials in our hands and the repetition of movement.
‘Let silence by the art you practice.’ - Rumi
I seek silence wherever and whenever I can, and I’d like to share the beauty of it with you. Being in silence helps you find your calm. Silence is the way back to you even in times of busyness and stress.
On retreat, you will learn tools and techniques that you can use everyday to find your calm, even when all you have are small pockets of time across a busy day.
Many guests at our retreats have returned multiple times, often booking 2 a year. Being in silence enables you to undergo deep and powerful transformation. Returning to the silent retreats is a way of preserving sanity and nurturing ourselves. The added bonus is having something to look forward to.
When our days and nights are filled with all the noise of our lives, it can be beneficial having something to eagerly anticipate. It can be difficult being caught up in the busyness of life and all the challenges along the way. Having a retreat to look forward to can lift our spirits, thinking in a few months I’ll be able to do this. And then, oh thank goodness it’s only a couple of weeks to go. Knowing that you have this time to take care of you, and we take care of everything else, is a great feeling.
On our Silent Retreats, your primary task is simply be-ing. We have nourishing vegetarian meals lovingly prepared for you. You can attend gentle beginner-friendly yoga sessions, meditation sessions and sound healing whilst still having plenty of space and time to be.
Listen for yourself and feel the benefits of silence.
