Silence is good for the heart and brain
In a recent homily, a priest pointed out that both “silent” and “listen” are made up of the same six letters. You can not listen, if you are not silent. They, indeed, go together.
Noise surrounds us more than silence. Some can’t even sleep without some noise. Since Holy Week is near, it is a good time to seek silence and solitude.
In a post, the Archdiocese of Jaro shared, “In the silence of your heart, learn to listen to what your body does not speak. Learn to love yourself more and be sensitive to your unspoken needs. Give some time for yourself to rest. It is through silence that you become sensitive to the unknown necessity of your soul. It is in your serenity that God wants to whisper in your ears how much he has wanted to remind you of his care, and how important you are to him, not in the way he had become less important to you.
“The noise created by your worldly desires had somehow made you deaf to the cravings of your soul. Renew once again your connection with him, rebuild your trust, strengthen your hope, and relive again the kind of life you once had in his love. As you take care of others, learn to take care of yourself first. You can never give what you do not have, and God is the best part you can ever have.”
Power of silence
There is power in silence. There is clarity and peace when you are centered. Many of the answers you seek dwell in the innermost crevice of yourself and not in the noisy chatter around you. We need to connect to our soul, our innermost being, and listen to the small voice within that anchors us to our essence.
Meditation and prayer both start with awareness and consciousness. You sit in a quiet place, assuming a relaxed position with eyes closed. You then focus on your breathing, using the rhythm to relax you. Streaming of thoughts will try to disrupt you; just let them pass and refocus on your breathing.
Suspend any judgment. Just be. Accept yourself, whoever you are at the moment. Whatever is happening to you, whether good or bad, will pass. It doesn’t define you. This practice by itself transforms and heals.
The virtue of silence and listening go with patience. You can not actively listen if you are impatient. It is what it is. Be patient. There is no rush to be anywhere or be anyone. You also learn to accept what is happening. Let go of any worries.
The late Baba Ram Dass, well-loved spiritual leader and author in the United States, popular for his quote “The quieter you become, the more you can hear” shared in one church lecture:
“Silence is very much part of my universe now, an awareness of silence. My universe involves using silence and not waiting for something to happen, because the silence is what’s happening, because you and I come here seeking truth and the best I can understand it is that truth is not conceptual, that what you can think about isn’t the ultimate truth.”
Health benefits of silence
A 2006 study found that a two-minute period of silence after listening to music significantly reduced the subjects’ heart rate and blood pressure. Silence resulted in greater decreases, compared to slow, relaxing music. An earlier 2003 research associated a chronically noisy environment with increases in heart rate and blood pressure.
Silence also improves concentration and focus. In 2021, a study revealed that those who worked in silence registered lower stress levels and the least cognitive load. Silence can also calm racing thoughts and anxiety, allowing mental stillness. The goal is to cultivate mindfulness, which alleviates anxiety. Silence may stimulate brain growth. A study in 2013 found that two hours of silence stimulated growth of new cells in the hippocampus in mice. This is the region of the brain related to memory and emotion.
Silence may reduce cortisol as a study claimed that people who performed their task with a noisy background registered higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol. If you feel you have lost your creativity, maybe silence is the key. When you clear your headspace with long silence, creativity is stimulated. There are not enough studies on the subject, but experts have observed this truth. Peaceful downtime was also found to increase productivity and problem-solving.
Silence is a precursor to mindfulness. When you sit in silence, you sit in the present moment.
How do you invite more silence into your life even after Easter? Intention. You have to desire it.
The easiest is to wake up a little earlier than your whole household. Even as little as 15 minutes every day is already a blessing.
