Preparing for the Silence

There is a difference between being silent and being in the Silence. You cannot force or command yourself to move from meditation to the Silence. It is something that occurs as a result of a dedicated and consistent meditation practice.

This Spiritual Adventure helps you prepare for time in the Silence by practicing focused relaxation and mantra meditation. After finding a quiet, comfortable place, free of interruptions and distractions, follow these steps:

STEP 1: Relax your entire body. Here’s how: Tense all your muscles at one time, pulling yourself into as tight a ball as possible, including scrunching the muscles in your face. Hold this tension for a moment, then very slowly relax your muscles. Notice how it feels, and become aware of any areas where tension still exists. Breathe into those spots while relaxing them.

STEP 2: In this totally relaxed state, focus your mind on a spiritual word or short phrase (i.e., Love, Peace, God, Spirit, Peace be still, Om, etc.). If you notice other thoughts interrupting, simply thank them for sharing and bring your attention back to your word or phrase.

Spend 15-20 minutes with this focused time, and become aware of anything that feels like “lost time” — moments with no recollection of any sense of time, sound, or sensation. If that occurred, you entered the realm of the Silence.

STEP 3: Journal your experience and thoughts after your meditation experience, and watch for experiences of longer times in the Silence.