One of the less expected outcomes of all the changes going on around me at the moment is connecting to one of my most profound meditation tools—listening to silence.
So much of our days are spent being inundated with constant streams of communication. Paying attention to others when they speak, listening to music, movies, TV shows, even the constant stream of thoughts parading through our heads. There is a wonderful respite when I have a chance to listen for the space between the sounds.
Last night, I sat by my open window long after the sun had set—something I haven’t had a chance to do for years—and just listened. It was dark enough to mask the details of what I could see—only small pools of light here and there providing input for my mind to process visually.
With little to see and even less to hear, my mind could absorb more subtleties in my surroundings. The air was filled with the scent of the greening Earth, along with just a hint of wood smoke from somewhere. The oak in our back yard was backlit by a cloudy sky illuminated in earthen light.
All I could hear was a soft hum of distant traffic and the very occasional car passing closer. Beneath it all was the space between the sounds, the fabric that carries it.
There’s almost a texture to silence, a feeling that seeps through the skin and into the bones and brings a peacefulness with it. In this place of stillness, I’m letting my roots sink down into the earth around me—into my home and hearth and health and family. And I will do my best to carry this peace with me on the road ahead.
Wishing you all peace and wellness.
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