By Elizabeth Herman┃Updated : November 04, 2020
When you practice the art of silence, you begin to appreciate a wider understanding of the world and your place in it. Teacher Philip Fraser explains.
With growing numbers seeking peace and solitude, you certainly are among them! Whether you already have a meditation practice or not, a silent retreat can give you that stillness we all need more of. Life is better when we balance the noisy world with inner stillness. The real power of silence is where mindfulness meets meditation with wisdom.
Philip Fraser has been teaching the Art of Living’s Silent Retreat since the early 1990s and has seen hundreds of people transformed by the program. Recently, we spoke with Philip about his observations, and how the Silent Retreat can help purify and balance your whole system.
The scariness of silence
Silence can appear scary to some people. There’s an association of silence with emotional upset – for instance, we commonly see silence in those who are traumatized, those who are mourning. Sometimes someone will think someone in silence is angry with them, when that’s just not the case. Silence can be joyful and fulfilling.
When you go into silence, a few things happen. You start to really appreciate nature. Generally, we hold the silence course in a place where you can go on nature walks and start to notice how nature resonates in your own mind.
Most people think that being in silence means that you’re totally alone, that the only way to connect with others is through talking. But we find that practitioners often feel much more connected with people and the world around them when they slow down, when they’re not distracted by verbal conversation.
Silence can be joyful and fulfilling
When you go into silence, you also start to notice what’s around you. You notice what’s happening in your own system, in your mind and body. And it can be a revelatory experience.
It’s certainly a challenge to spend time with your own mind, with your own thoughts. That part of silence can take some getting used to. In this day and age, we’re surrounded by noise, interaction, entertainment at all times. And this is an avoidance technique; without those distractions, you’re hyper-aware of your mental state. You have to be present. And it’s uncomfortable.
Broadening your vision
Sometimes your mind can fixate on the negative situations you encounter. When you’re happy, however, it’s not as if those situations disappear, but you’ve learned to put them into context by widening your vision.
For instance, when you’re standing next to a pile of garbage, it doesn’t feel good. You might feel gross or uncomfortable. But if you take a step back, you might notice that there’s also a tree. And then a mountain. And then a beautiful scene opens up before you, and the entire world is beautiful, even if there’s a little garbage nearby as well.
When energy stays with you
Speaking takes energy. Being active in your senses at all times takes energy. If a computer had to do what you do, it would need a huge battery to process all that information.
Deep rest, which we experience in this retreat, gives you the chance to purify and balance yourself naturally, which means that the energy will stay with you long after you leave the course.
It’s an energetic, mental cleanse, a release. It’s not difficult or uncomfortable, but you’ll notice it when it’s happening.
A True Vacation
In this retreat, we honor our need for true rest and rejuvenation, which is especially important in this fast-paced society. Silence gives you a break from so much mental activity; the mind gets to quiet down for once.
The addition of yoga and meditation bring your attention back to your body and your breath, which creates a tremendous amount of energy in your system, strengthening your life force itself. It’s a battery charge, so to speak, and participants often report that they still feel the effects of this retreat six months later.
Interested in exploring silence in more depth? At the Art of Living, we’re thrilled to be offering a monthly membership program that makes attending a silent retreat that much easier with a greatly discounted price. To learn more about The Art of Living Journey Membership, click here or find a silent retreat happening near you.
We also invite you to attend a free online session with a senior Art of Living faculty member, The Hidden Power of Silence, an introduction to the Silent Retreat. Take a moment to reserve your spot!
The rest of our conversation with Phillip Fraser can be found in parts 1 and 3 of this series.
By Elizabeth Herman - PhD in English, with concentrations in Rhetoric and Composition, and Literature, she offers writing support to clients, teaches locally, lives in Boone, NC, and volunteers for a better world.
