The Power of Presence (Silence Helps)

“Silence is not the absence of something but the presence of everything . . . It is the presence of time, undisturbed. It can be felt within the chest. Silence nurtures our nature, our human nature, and lets us know who we are.” Acoustic Ecologist Gordon Hempton

I love this quote by Gordon Hempton who has a website called Sound Tracker. The tag line on his website says: Earth is a Solar Powered Jukebox. Cool.

He makes recordings of the sounds he hears in nature and finds his own personal peace and presence in the silence that is anything but silent if one only knows how to listen.

While we can't all become acoustic ecologists (perhaps we can . . . ), you and I can become more attuned to what's under the silence we think we hear. That is why I think I'm better at noticing the sounds of birds, the buzzing of insects, the slap of a wave on a rock when I'm walking in nature - no headphones just allowing my ears to become part of a soundscape that is all around me.

If I think about it (and I do), the connection to spirit has no language. It is up to each of us to interpret the experience of that connection and sometimes words fail to capture the fullness of what is felt deeply in the heart. It is a music all its own, one that my ears might hear differently from yours.

I invite you to join me in honoring the power of silence and the experience of presence that it enables. See what you notice about yourself and your mental/emotional energy, and allow that presence to emanate out to all those whose lives you touch.

With love and continuing prayers for Ukraine and all those in need, Cathleen

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