Silence

I decided to sit and observe the silence this morning, after having been really inspired by the articles we are reading for our Music Seminar class. Many of them have spent a great deal of time considering the idea of silence, and in that, the tyranny of sound. When you think about it, one really cannot escape sound.

This morning, I moved my 'office' out of my bedroom and into the living room so I could change my sitting perspective (couch) view (mountains in a different angle). I did not get the idea to 'observe the silence' until I had set everything up and sat down. I looked into the little candle I lit, and thought it might be nice to observe a little before I got going on my 'real' work. Ha.

What I would normally consider perfect silence in my apartment is not. While the world is (mostly) still asleep (or at very least, my roommates), there is plenty of sound still happening; the whir of the refrigerator, the buzz of passing cars on the frontage road and highway that runs in front of our building, the crackle of the couch as I adjust or breath more deeply into my back (I was using the change of sitting scenario as a way to practice that too).

I started to shut and open my eyes, and when I did, I noticed that I automatically wanted to attach sound patterns to visual patterns, both of which were examples of light. That said, attaching a visual to anything is actually being respondent to light, but I digress. The candle I had light seemed to flutter with the same kind of whir as the fridge, and the buzz of the passing cars actually found a small place to reflect as light off of the third panel of pulled up blinds on our big window in the living room. Perhaps I was just seeing what I wanted to see. Regardless, I found it interesting.

I also noticed that each time I opened my eyes after having them shut, it was lighter outside. This was no surprise of course. I just love being awake specifically at this time so I can see the change from night to day. It was simply emphasized by this little experience.

All in all, I probably did not spend more than ten minutes on this exercise. But I am proud that I even spent that much time. As someone who likes to actively rather than passively process (notice the amount of writing I have spit out regarding less than ten minutes of pretty much nothingness), ten minutes is pretty decent. Maybe this is my better way to implement meditation; in my own space, on my own time (15 instead of 30 minutes) with the ability to actively process whenever it is desired. I love the  energy of others, but I get it all day!

So, silence. Kind of impossible. But why not try while ready to be reflexive to what is gathered?