Finally, peace and quiet
>>> With Labor Day here and stores already pummeling us with Halloween gear, these last few official weeks of summer are an opportunity to relax, renew and fortify your mind to reap the wellness benefits of peace and quiet — before the cacophony of holiday-related, nonstop busyness that the rest of the year can bring. We chat with experts about the power of silence and tips on where to find it:
It’s a noisy planet. So much so that research calls noise pollution a “modern plague” and a threat to our health and well-being. “Noisy, chaotic environments increase stress levels, and chronic stress has been shown to ... suppress immunity, increase risk of heart disease and diabetes, while also increasing inflammation,” says Dr. Brent Bauer, director of research at the Mayo Clinic’s Integrative Medicine Program.
Spending time in a tranquil environment can repair some of the damage, and may even aid cell regeneration.
In researching the effects of silence on mice, “We found beneficial effects” on the brain, says scientist Imke Kirste, a researcher on a report titled in part, “Is silence golden?” The upshot of her findings is something that we need to
be reminded of again and again: avoid that which causes stress.
And for many of us, that’s endless noise of one kind or another.
Just finding a sliver of solitude is not enough.
“What happens in a silent environment is probably a more important question. In other words, if I go to a quiet place and ruminate about past mistakes or future worries, I am probably not much better off. But if I use the quiet environment to help set a different focus for my mind — to become mindful, focused on the moment, meditative — I can then begin to experience the relaxation response, the reverse of the stress response,” says Bauer, who suggests engaging in meditation, guided imagery, yoga, tai chi, etc. “These mindbody practices have scientific evidence suggesting that, as part of a
wellness lifestyle, they can improve ... general well-being.”
Once you start, there might be no turning back.
The Tassajara Zen Mountain Center is located northeast of Big Sur, away from city sights and sounds and it doesn’t have Wi-Fi, to better enhance its practices and programs that revolve around finding moments of silence in a loud and chaotic world.
“The babble of constant communication that surrounds us needs a strong, silent container in which to dissipate…,” says Susan O’Connell, former president of the San Francisco Zen Center, which includes Tassajara as one of its temples. “Most people, when they get a taste of this silence, realize how essential it is.”