Silence as a Way to “Do Not Disturb”
Meditation and silence are happy partners.
Reducing noise is an inherent part of most meditation practices, because it helps people reconnect with their own inner wisdom and many spiritual teachings instruct the student to “quieten the mind so that the soul (or heart) can speak.”
But getting quiet is not easy in our world of sensory overload, and it seems harder and harder to find that safe space to get quiet and listen.
Growing up in semi-rural Australia I experienced the privilege of silence through an abundance of open spaces in nature. So when I feel the weight of mental overload, I “go bush” or retreat in nature. It’s the best “do not disturb” setting around.
That’s why taking a meditation break while on a high-desert hiking trail in Joshua Tree National park last week was a true gift. Sitting on the ground, in the shade of a huge granite boulder, I closed my eyes and started to breathe. The warm earth and radiant morning heat started to rise, and I could feel a bead of sweat trickling down my temple. Through my breath the sounds came. The caw of a raven in the distance, a rustling gecko skirting by, and a curious fly that decided to test the ability to stay focused. My brain chatter was replaced by nature’s noises. The longer we sat quietly, the more we heard, and for a brief moment, when the surrounds got really quiet, I could hear my heartbeat.
Coming back to inner city life has been a cacophony, and it’s a challenge to find even a moment of silence. The reality of the current sensory overload that we live in is evident.
Startling, unnatural sounds such as subway trains screeching, car horns blaring and glass breaking can have physiological effects on our heart rate, breathing, and hormone levels. Relentless loud sounds exact a detrimental impact on our health and wellbeing.
While we can’t all escape to the quietest places to help our bodies, the benefits of spending time in silence or nature is one way we can start to turn down the volume on our daily lives.
The health benefits of “Shinrin-yoku” or the concept of “forest bathing” are some of the best-documented forms of silent communing with nature. And forests can be some of the quietest places to get quiet and tune in.
For this readership, maybe it’s standing in a dormant vineyard, or counting end-of-month inventory away from the bustle of the restaurant floor, or even that moment in the cellar during harvest, before that first load of grapes arrives and the beeping, whirring and bustle of harvest begins.
A perspective on silence was captured in the award-winning documentary, “In Pursuit of Silence” directed by Patrick Shen. In his film, Shen explores the concept of our relationship with silence and the unique ways that silence, or an absence thereof, is experienced.
Shot over 18 months across eight countries, the documentary captures some of the quietest, and loudest locations around the world. From Mumbai India to midtown Manhattan, the state parks of California, to monastic life in Japan, there are numerous moments in the documentary that contemplates how noisy modern-day life really is: “Silence is where we hear something deeper than our chatter. Silence is where we speak something deeper than our words.”
The documentary is built around the work of American composer John Cage, who was most famous for his ground-breaking composition “4 minutes 33 seconds” – a three-part composition that dared the listener to consider silence as music.
So what are the small ways you can find even a graceful moment of silence or a little more nature song in our lives? Here are some thoughts:
Take your meditation practice outside.
Walk to a local park, or open space, close your eyes, take a deep breath, and listen.
Use your device’s Do Not Disturb function to help control WHEN you can find silence.
Replace your morning alarm bell with a nature sound, to ease into a waking state.
Use noise-cancelling headphones or earplugs to reduce the overall decibels of your surrounds.
Being in the desert, empty hiking trail or any open space is a magical way to turn down the volume in our mind for a moment. The earth is a musical score of bird call and critter footsteps. Of wind rushes and rainfall. And sometimes the rhythm of your own heartbeat.
A reminder to tap into the beauty of the world around us, and for a moment remember the gift it is to be truly alive.
Namaste,
Beck
WHAT WE'RE READING:
Here's What Has Piqued Our Interest This Week In The World Of Wine And Mindfulness.
How To Meditate – New York Times
Learning how to meditate is straightforward, and the benefits can come quickly. Here, we offer basic tips to get you started on a path toward greater equanimity, acceptance and joy.
Five Ways To Take Wine Education Forward - Areni Global.com
Areni Global have dedicated several roundtables and Insight Series conversations to understand what it will take to create inclusive and enlightening learning experiences in today’s atomised and online world.
How to Stop Ruminating – ExperienceLife.com
These strategies can help you break free from the spiral of negative thoughts.
The New Vocabulary of Wine - Emily Timberlake for PunchDrink.com
A brilliantly written tongue-in-cheek guide to “wine talk”.
THIS WEEK'S REMINDER:
Keep These Short Meditations And Inspirations Bookmarked For When You Need Them.
The Way of the Healthy Deviant Leader – Mindful Leader.org
Master the renegade act of Healthy Deviance to be energized, radiant, and resilient in a culture where most people are burnt out and just getting by. Dive deeper into the 3 nonconformist competencies: amplified awareness, preemptive repair, and continuous growth & learning.
Meet the Community!
Here we meet folks who make our profession so dynamic and hear how they keep their wellness in check.
Carla Rza Betts, Co-Founder, An Approach To Relaxation (USA)
Years In Industry:
I started in the industry over 21 years ago as a silverware polisher. Since then I've been a busser, food runner, barback, server, bartender, & Wine Director. I left the floor of restaurants (at the time, The Breslin, The Spotted Pig & The John Dory Oyster bar in NYC) in 2012 to begin a winemaking project with my husband, Richard Rza Betts.
My Biggest Challenge To Wellness:
Travel! Pre-Covid it was extremely difficult to keep any semblance of a consistent schedule as we were traveling close to 200-225 days a year. Finding a nap or a gym whenever possible was the best 'wellness' I could manage. Most of our meals were out, and most of our beds were in a hotel.
Since Covid has slowed the world down, I've found a much slower, more silent space for myself in a consistent yoga and meditation practice. The luxury of being able to make my own food, not wake up at 4:30am for a flight, and stay in one time zone has changed my entire life.
How I Keep It Together To Stay Well:
I used to be hyper vigilant about working out, and I've found that with the easing of travel stress, my intense adherence to a workout schedule has softened as well. At home I'm able to slip into a much more organic personal wellness schedule that answers to how I feel each day rather than what I think I should be doing. It's opened my heart, my body and my mind to experience this gentle way of being.
When I left New York, I realized how hard and fast I had been living, and a similar thing is occurring post-Covid, where again I am finding that I'm happier and more balanced when I am not working/ traveling/ consuming like a maniac. This is a long way of saying: Slowing Down has helped me keep it together!
You can connect with Carla on Instagram @carlarzabetts Twitter: @carlarzabetts and Facebook @carlarzabetts or via the website AnApproachToRelaxation.com
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