Where can it be found?
I wake to the lovely sounds of the dawn chorus outside. This is followed by the unlovely sound of me yawning. Then my footsteps on the stairs, the sound of running water, a kettle boiling, a lemon being squeezed, an egg frying, me chomping, a car starting, me talking on the phone at work. And so my day unfolds, one sound after another, revealing my whereabouts and what I’m doing.
Sometimes I crave silence.
But where is silence?
We think stars only shine at night, because that’s when we see them. But stars are shining all the time. Day and night. Everyday sunshine blocks them from our view.
Similarly, we think of silence as only existing when there is no sound. But silence is here all the time. It’s around and within us. Everyday noises fill our ears and prevent us from noticing it.
So how can you experience silence?
You don’t need to find a cave on a mountaintop or crave admittance to a monastery. Silence is everywhere. Even in an underground train tunnel with an express racing through, silence is still present.
Silence is an underpinning ingredient of all creation.
It’s within everything.
It's silence that holds the sounds.
So, if you crave silence, don't struggle to find it.
Sense it beneath the sounds.
Let it effortlessly emerge, no matter what is happening around you.
With love, Marlane
If you want to sense more space and silence in your life, take up the FREE 7 Day Mindfulness Challenge. You’ll love it!
Original version published on Medium.com/Illumination