Silence is the most vibrant sound of all. It is the sound of life, the sound of the universe. As white light contains all colors, silence holds world’s sorrow, joy, love, hate, pain, and beauty. When we allow ourselves to be swept into silence, we become one with all the existence here and now. Silence is our home, the place where we came from and will end.
Silence is hard to come by nowadays. We are bombarded with all kinds of noise in our daily lives: noise from traffic, crowds, PCs, TV, machines, and phones. Noise hits us as texts, emails, chats, instant messages, and social media. Some of them can be useful information, yet they are still part of the unceasing stimulus flow that prevents us from hearing our inner voice. Creating time for silence is much needed in our modern life. Fifteen minutes of meditation could bring us peace and relaxation. A whole day of silence could fill our hearts with gratitude. Three days of silence could immerse us in the ocean of love.
Retreating into a place away from home greatly helps us stay in silence without distraction. But it is not always feasible. Our finance might be too tight to arrange a retreat facility. We might not have enough time to drive there. A retreat at home can be an alternative in such a case. We can turn our home into a place for silence with good preparation and intention.
I have read about a woman who observed a day of silence at her home every Monday for ten years. She told her husband about her need for silence and asked him not to talk to her on Mondays. She unplugged her phone and computer and spent alone time in nature. Once she began her weekly silent ritual, she realized so much of her energy had been going into communicating with others. She was busy listening to others and was not listening to herself. After establishing her Silent Monday ritual, she became more grounded and calmer. She began to recognize her needs buried under clutter.
My late husband did home retreat whenever he needed more clarity. His silence affected the whole family. My pace slowed down while he was on a retreat. Our young son grew up to become an adult who appreciated the value of silence.
A retreat at home is not for everyone. It is almost impossible to stay in silence while taking care of a young child. There might not be enough space to be alone inside a shared house. If you live alone or with your family that understands your need for silence, an at-home retreat will be a wonderful gift that you can give to yourself. Try even just a day of silence at home and see how it affects your energy and feeling. Tap into inner peace and touch your soul.
" Listen to silence. It has so much to say." – Jalal ad-Dīn Muhammad Rumi