The first yoga class I ever attended was a Bikram Yoga class. I remember feeling very proud of myself for completing the practice that is a series of 26 yoga postures and breathing exercises in a studio heated up to 40 degress and lasts for 90 mintues.
I was so relieved when it finished that I remember saying I couldn’t possibly repeat this again but the overwhelming peace and lightness that stayed with me, was enough to keep me practising yoga for many years.
Silence can be practised in any environment that you feel comfortable in eg, a meditation, sitting at the beach, sitting in the garden, practising yoga, or breathing and mantra exercises.
To experience silence I have found the only way is to practice. You cannot connect to the silence if you are always in your mind or always running from here to there, it has to be a deliberate effort to stop, become still and listen.
Silence plays such an important role in our lives and yet we take it for granted; that is to say, we seldom anchor ourselves in the present moment long enough to listen and appreciate what silence brings.
In order to create an environment to practice silence, start by removing as many distractions as possible: phones, music, people talking or visual distractions.
Your breath will help you become still and allow your mind to become empty. Take 5 slow deep breaths to achieve this. Repeat again if you feel you need to. Practising a mantra such as OM will help too. A mantra is a syllable or set of syllables ( sound vibrations ) which help clear the mind.
If you can see outside or sit outside, focus on the trees or the sky and feel it’s stillness and slow movement and connect to its natural rhythm. Stay in this stillness for at least 10 minutes a day.
Centering yourself through silence can help you determine the right path for what you are considering and planning for. It can help you listen not only to yourself and your needs, but to listen more effectively to others and their needs.
I never hesitate to roll out my yoga mat everyday, because it connects me to my inner self and truth. It allows my day to flow more easily, and to have vision and clarity for what lies ahead. When I connect to this stillness regularly, it naturally creates a ripple effect that influences other people’s feelings of peace and harmony, which in turn creates a better world to live in.
“Be still
Stillness reveals the secrets of eternity” – Laozi
LIVING IN THIS MOMENT 