My tryst with Silence on Mouni Amavaysa!

 𝐌𝐲 𝐭𝐫𝐲𝐬𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐒𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐌𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐢 𝐀𝐦𝐚𝐯𝐚𝐬𝐲𝐚!

For a change, I switched over to mega practice in place of my favorite micro-practices!

On 8th FEB 2024, Krishna Prakash ji’s post on the essence of silence appeared on my feed. Upon reading the post, on the spur of the moment, I decided to observe a 12-hour silence on 9th Feb. from 6 AM onwards.

However, I got up late on the morning of the 9th and that did not dilute my resolve. I embarked on my silent journey from 7 AM to 7 PM.

The day started with my customary Zhan Zhuang exercises which happen in stillness, so it was an easy first hour.

I consciously disconnected from all screens and also set aside the companionship of my daily newspapers.

Entering into the realm of silence felt as natural as a fish taking to the water!

I must thank the micro-practices.

The thoughts were popping up as usual. However, I was able to stop following them before it was 2-3 sentences long! Back to pause mode!

Otherwise, those 2 to 3 sentences will soon turn into a thousand sentences!

I was happy to observe the long duration of Silence after many, many years.

My first experiment happened after listening to a Spiritual teacher on the topic ‘maatu-mouna-manana’ (speech-silence-assimilation). The teacher spoke of how he observes Silence for 40 days every year while involved in the daily routine of running a spiritual foundation.

I was intrigued by this and wanted to give it a try. I embarked on my silent explorations, beginning with a single day of silence on a holiday. From there, my journey evolved.

I spent weekends in silent communion with my ten-month-old daughter and also when she was around 2 years old. Without utter a word, I was able to take care of her for two days.

Amazingly, it seems, my daughter got the vibes of Silence and remained remarkably composed throughout our silent journeys!

My longest period of Silence was during a ten-day Vipassana retreat.  

However, it was 7 days while being involved in day-to-day activities!

As I reflect on my experience of silence on Mouni Amavasya, I am reminded of the myriad ways in which silence has woven itself into the fabric of my life. From fleeting moments of stillness to extended periods of profound quietude.

Now, as I share my tale with you, I invite you to share your own experiences of embracing silence and discovering its transformative power.

 *****

I guide you to integrate self-awareness micro-practices into your day-to-day activities which help to de-stress and rejuvenate on the go.