by Tracey Rich

Silence holds that contemplative space I so often crave. The infinite space between the breaths. Silence is a place to rest in, where the context of everything melds into a singular whole. It is both empty and full. Within silence, we sense we are alive and a part of everything.

When we sit in silence the expansion of our awareness extends outward through our senses and inward through observation of our mind and consciousness moving through us. Silence is a still point, a reboot, and it requires stillness, even if only for a conscious breath or heartbeat. Silence affords a reflective moment and the opportunity for perception of the connective tissue of life that we are part of.

Currently, silence is sometimes equated with inaction. But perhaps the connection to silence is the moment required before right action. Right action is beautiful and ideally it takes a form that is the authentic expression of each person. Hopefully, the action is both intuitive and examined. We serve best when we serve as ourselves. We can stretch beyond our comfort zones, but let it be true. Sometimes it takes connecting with silence to find that place.

Making time to immerse in silence, to stop and tune into silence, to become quiet enough to merge and connect with the fullness of life in a still and quiet way, is meditation. The meditation that is your life. Silence is not the absence of anything, it is the awareness of everything.