In amongst the sensory overwhelms – sensory overloads etc – I taught myself as a kid that there is silence between the noise and how to listen for it. No one taught me this, but I struggled in silence and taught myself techniques.
So when the outside or inside noise was too much for silent heart. Or too much chaos. Or things that would knock me off the safety of my routine, I’d seek the hidden moments, when fear could not be put into words or the unspoken sadness threatened to overwhelm my senses.
Whether it is the pause between a breath.
A moment before the song starts up – even a millisecond.
The pause between words or the silence when a child has stopped jumping for a second.
When the keyboard stops clackidy clacking.
There’s silence hidden in the chaos. And once you know how to recognise it, it gets easier to find it.
When I am overwhelmed or overloaded. I look for it.
The stillness in the breeze.
You can too. That is my challenge for you today. Look for the silence in the moment, and mentally try to hold on for it. Make it a game.
How you do it: Listen to the noise, mentally tick off the pauses and try to listen for the sound of silence {if you do not know what that means – if you get a chance, go somewhere very quiet or noise cancelling headphones for 5 minutes to know the sounds that you register – think about the noise – what is it? the blood in your ears, air, static? it can look very different to everyone – knowing those natural sounds of silence that appears to you – allows you to look for them when the noise has a moment pause}
By doing this: you’ll be able to centre yourself, ground yourself, calm your mind and filter noises a lot better. It’ll help you sleep too if you do it at night, like I used to when the police sirens and noisy people outside were particularly noisy. It is mindfulness and existing in the present.
Then breathe.
Exist in that moment.
The Sacred Unravelling 