Building a Practice of Sacred Silence
11/25/23
This is an updated writing from November 2018
This morning I decided to start teaching my kids about silence because I believe that once you spend enough time in silence, harnessing it for your own healing in Divine partnership, nothing will take its place and your desire for it will grow.
I want them to learn the value of it before all the other voices get so loud in their head that they're afraid of it. So we started with these two exercises and I recommend them.
1- Use the stopwatch on your phone and sit in silence for 2 minutes at a time, watching your thoughts flow past like a river but not jumping in the boat with any of them.
Intentionally think of what you hold gratitude for, and many things will float by and perhaps many distractions will come to mind or even many things you're not grateful for. Let it all float by and at the end of two minutes pick the thing you're most inspired by and write it down. Do two more sets of two minutes like this.
Congratulations! You sat in silence for 6 minutes, practiced detachment from your racing thoughts, and practiced intentional attachment to inspiration.
2- Set a stopwatch for 3 minutes. Close your eyes and ask for a name or image for God and the way God/Divine/Spirit wants to relate to you right now.
Then write down whatever comes to your heart and doodle or anything else you want to do.
My kids and I received beautiful and profound inspirations this morning.
*I've worked with people long enough to know that sometimes when our minds are not at peace, we sit down and we hear very frightening and negative or deceptive things in our quiet space. Sometimes fear or a desire to shut out these voices can come. While I believe wholeheartedly in spiritual protection, I also believe it is possible to detach from these thoughts and intentionally attach to something more centering without much drama.
To do this, again, you can separate yourself from all the things that flow through you a bit. Stand back from these things and watch them flow by. If you don't receive any inspired thoughts into your spirit or your heart at this time, read something you love and picture yourself attaching there instead.
If disruptive, frightening or disturbing thoughts have taken over your quiet space (this happens to everyone sometimes), you may need to practice more and ask for people to accompany you who have gentle curiosity about what you're facing in order to free up your heart and mind and spirit.
In other words, if it is particularly difficult for you, you might seek the support of a spiritual guide. This is someone who can just speak to you about what you experience in your prayer time and help you wonder where it's coming from if there is any question.
Our minds are noisy and lies are everywhere. I've sat with many folks who heard very condemning voices and wondered if God was punishing them. This is not God. Divine love is comforting, gracious, unconditional, truth-telling (awareness without shame), encouraging, all-loving and exciting.
God never leaves you feeling despair and abandonment. Don't give up. The key is allowing the experience and trusting your agency while leaning into Divine Love.
Image description: [a fuzzy, nearly full moon muted by clouds. Colors are deep blue, yellow and black]