Reflection Paper On Silence

The practice of silence is one I find to illicit a state of present moment awareness. The simple act of purposefully abstaining from verbal speech resulted in a heightened awareness of thoughts, feelings and sensations in the moment. It also increased my ability to listen to others in a way that supports them. Over the course of two weeks, I chose to practice silence along with the practice of suspension during my listening of others. I was surprised by the process and results of these combined practices. When I began, I expected that my relationships would become more intimate and feel even better than they had before. My goal in my listening was to begin the practice of suspending even before engaging in conversation, such as soon as I walked into a room where another was present. I asked myself questions such as, “What am I feeling upon seeing this person and how has my energy changed?” “What is my emotional reaction?” “How can I best serve this person and what are they wanting or needing right now?” I reminded myself of my practice by saying, “Breathe. Suspend. Listen.” By noticing my own feelings, thoughts and reactions, I could then put then aside and put my full attention on the other person

While I prefer to speak in person or at least by phone, many of my friends communicate by text. A close friend texted me that her husband was just diagnosed with cancer. Through the course of her text and subsequent emails, I found that I had automatic reactions that normally would have influenced my response. I saw that I naturally want to give my opionion or advice rather than give the person what they are wanting or needing in the moment. By noticing what came up for me and allowing it to be there, which was a flood of thoughts and emotions, I then became present to what my friend, and her husband through texting with him, wanted from me in the