Susan's suZenYoga blogs 

Silence: The Pathway to Inner Balance

Reveal your Bliss Nature and find a harmonious balance of body, mind, and emotions by embracing nature's gift of silence. Silence calms anxiety and promotes healing and wellbeing.

Finding the Sound of Silence is an individual experience. Some find silence in the continual drone of city traffic or the crash of ocean waves; others find it in the echoes of children's playful laughter or a forest full of birdsong. There are, however, very sacred and special moments of absolute silence, a complete and utter stillness and absence of sound when time seems to stop. With no stimuli to respond to, we have the freedom to simply exist and embrace our inner spirit.

We are accustomed to living in an environment of continuous sound, but noise demands a physical response beyond simply hearing. Noise constantly stimulates body and mind. Continual vibrations disrupt the balance of our water-based circulatory and nervous systems, leaving us anxious and tired. Silence allows us to clear our thoughts and emotions, giving our body an opportunity to regenerate and relax.

Finding silence is a cumulative process. As with relaxation, we build silence into our lives little by little. Even 10-minute segments of silence are beneficial, but achieving longer 30-minute periods will foster profound peace, harmony, and good health. By creating regular time for silence and quiet, you will eventually reach the Yoga meditation goal of becoming happier in your body and more accepting of self. As part of self-acceptance and finding value in life, human beings must possess hope. Silence provides time to embrace hope and find the freedom to be human.

Silence is the essence of Zen meditative practice. As we remain still, focusing on our physical being and concentrating on being present to ourselves, we can explore our state of mind and find meaning in life. In the silent and quiet spaces you build, you will be able to organize thoughts and emotions and divest yourself of anger and frustration. Silence clears the way for natural healing of mind and body to occur. It restores balance and harmony and allows the vitality and beauty of your inner self to shine through.