Making space for silence

Silence can be hard to find.

There is often something making a sound around us. Music playing, a television in the background, traffic outside, a message arriving on our phone. Yet when things do become quiet, we can be quick to fill the space.

I’m curious about what happens when we make a little room for silence.

When it's quiet

Silence can feel different depending on what is happening within us.

Sometimes it feels peaceful. Sometimes it feels uncomfortable.

We might suddenly notice thoughts we had been too busy to hear. We might notice how we are feeling. Or we might simply become aware of sounds we hadn't noticed before.

When we fill the quiet

We don't always choose noise consciously.

We might turn on the television while making dinner. Put something on while we drive. Reach for our phone when the room becomes quiet. There is nothing wrong with that.

Yet perhaps we don't always notice how quickly we fill the silence.

What silence gives us

When there is nothing playing, nothing to watch and nothing we need to respond to, our attention has a little more space.

We might hear birds outside. Notice the sounds of the house. Hear our own thoughts. Or perhaps we notice how much we want to reach for something.

Silence can show us things we don't usually notice.

Staying with the quiet

We don't have to make silence comfortable. We don't have to sit quietly for a long time or make it into a practice.

Perhaps we can simply leave a few moments unfilled. Let the room be quiet. See what we notice.

Our attention may drift, and that's okay.

We can simply notice where it goes.

Making space

There will always be noise around us, something we can listen to, watch or check.

Making space for silence isn't about removing all of that. Maybe it's about occasionally choosing not to add anything more. A quiet moment can be enough.

I wonder what you might notice the next time you have a few moments of silence and decide to let them stay quiet.