De-Stress: Taking Time for Silence
What does silence mean to you? For me it is the stillness of nature on a cool, crisp morning. Sitting outside on my deck with a hot cup of green tea seeing how still I can get my body while the cacophony of sounds from birds to breezes to a neighborhood donkey braying on the hill fills my senses. My silence is filled with sound, movement and life.
The key to my silence is that I maintain complete (or at least that is my intention) awareness on what I hear, feel and see in the moment. Silence at the core is when my mind no longer talks to me in complaints, worries, plans and lists…it is when I am able to see the complaining, worrying and list-making at a distance, leaving it for a moment and watching my breath. My breath is a gift…each conscious inhale and exhale makes me present.
Every morning that I practice “being here,” I am lifted. It helps my day to be calm and more focused. I feel connected to my intuition. When I take time to be still and silent the world feels less crazy, and I maneuver the ups and downs more easily.
Find what your silence is. Is it taking a bath with candles, or is it a brisk walk or run alone on a trail…filled with the sound of your breath? Your silence could be when your children have finally gone to bed and you sit on your favorite chair, close your eyes and just be with you. It doesn’t have to be long…a few minutes in the morning and before you sleep have the ability to change your life. Bringing stillness, silence and awareness into your life make you a more balanced person. Give yourself the gift of a quiet mind…silence is magic. It transforms you into YOU.
- Take 3 to 5 minutes in the morning and before sleep at night to be still and in quiet. Make it your NEW rule and have your household/family honor your new ritual.
- Find your silence place…Walking, sitting in nature, in a bath, a sacred corner of your room…wherever it is, make it YOUR sacred space.
- Forgive yourself for every thought that haunts you…don’t worry; you can get back to it, but during these minutes you are dedicated to quieting your mind.
- Breath: Inhale…exhale and allow a shift to happen inside.
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Mariel Hemingway, celebrated actress and wellness advocate, is the national spokesperson for Wellness Week. Wellness Week, March 19-25, 2012, is your chance to look and feel your best with exclusive spa treatments, private training and more, all at $50 prices or 50% discounts. Learn more at Wellness Week 2012.
Happy hearts day xoxo
That is a beautiful and ispirational insight from the Mariel Hemigway on silence. For me silence is being present with all that is happening in this moment, by simply listening without judgment or wanting things/life to be different. From my years of yoga practice i have discovered the gift of being present in the now moment, which sometimes seems ‘longer’ and other times ‘shorter’ between the interuption of the comentary of the mind trying to take me away to some other place.
To all at the SpaFinder&Mariel Hemingway, may the silence be awaken within you.
Namaste
Borka
Thank You for your article, mariel. I noticed that I do have just a few minutes to breathe and practice being still and silencing my mind everyday if I want to. It is a choice and when I’m constantly living under stress, my mind gets programmed into the negative and I don’t make the right choice to spend the 3 to 5 minutes sitting still with a quiet mind. I have a sacred space in mind now and will force myself to drop everything and go there. I’m sure I will feel a lot better and truly be transformed, and I won’t be missing out on anything that calls for my attention and time for just a few minutes twice a day, morning and night. Thanks again, I needed to read this to reaffirm myself that feeling overwhelmed and stressed out daily is not a good way to live my life.
My idea of a quiet moment is when I’m home alone, I sit or lay in the room in complete silence ( no T.V, no lights )…. I love to do this before the grand kids and husband get home from school and work and the noise begin. My other Idea of a quiet moment is that I go for a massage once a month , turn my cell phone off and be one with myself , after the massage I treat myself to lunch alone.
i open your page by chance ,am so happy i did .it was a very stressful time in my life and following ur advice was reall great . thk you
I wish I could have total silence. For about 3 years I have had horrible tinnitus, so when I crave silence, I just hear the sound of cicadas in both ears. Strangely enough, it is made worse with stress and noise! Background noise like ocean or soft music seems to help. I do take better care of my ears now and wear earplugs to sleep. It takes a bit of mindfulness to explore the silence between the noises. I try to just focus on breathing and feel it. Also exercise and diet helps as well. Thanks for the reminder.
such a gorgeous piece, thank you so much for us down under in Australia x
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Love the silence. I used to go for walks in the fall when the kids went to school. It was wonderful hearing the birds, wind and feeling it. Being totally present in silence is my tool for inspiration. Love it. Thanks for expressing it so well.