The Sound of Silence

Do you ever have five minutes of complete and total silence in your day? This week in yoga my teacher D focused on our fifth chakra (energy centers in the body), the throat chakra, which is all about sound. It represents your ability to communicate. Do you use your voice to convey your true self to the world? Are you a talker? Are you a listener? Most importantly, do you have enough faith in yourself to have your own voice be heard?

There is a lot of "white noise" in the world around us (and in my house after 7:30 pm! Yes...I have several noise machines going at once to avoid hearing middle of the night crying)....televisions on just for the sake of background noise, chatter that we are listening to but don't necessarily want to hear, if you are a parent maybe whining/crying/tantrums. Stepping away from all that and seeing the value of pure silence is really worth recognizing...because with that silence can come clarity, peace and maybe even a great sense of calm. I definitely take note of the nights when I get in bed at the end of the day and I have my moment of total quiet (except of course for the noise machine at full blast behind my closed door in the hallway). But I'm also fortunate enough to have these moments of silence while practicing yoga, which are so beneficial and healing for me on a weekly basis.

Have you ever meditated? According to Andy Puddicombe, author of the book Get Some Headspace: How Mindfullness Can Change Your Life in Ten Minutes a Day, meditation can do the following things:

• Change the shape of your brain in order to lower pain sensitivity
• Enhance quality of life
• Can help to clear your skin
• Relieve anxiety and depression
• Improve your chances of conceiving

This is only a fraction of the amazing insight this book has to offer. I am in the middle of reading it now and highly recommend it to anyone who has even thought about making meditation a part of their life. I know...finding ten minutes a day to meditate...easier said than done! However, those ten minutes a day might just change your life for the better. It may just provide you with the clarity you need to make your voice be heard amongst all the white noise.

So many of us do a lot of talking about beliefs we have or things we want to accomplish. But there is a big difference between talking and doing. I am so impressed by those individuals who actually take action so that their voice is heard in this world. On that note, I'd like to introduce you to a charity organization created by a group of friends of mine called GLORY...giving life, opportunities and resources to the young. The mission of this charity is to "provide direct, sustainable aid to families in need, with a focus on creating opportunities for children." These seven guys have created time in their life outside of their busy careers and growing families to give back to their community and have their voice make a difference. You should all be really proud of yourselves...I know I am truly impressed with your ability to make your voice be heard.