The Practice of Conscious Silence

Conscious silence isn't just about keeping quiet. It is not about shutting out the world. It is about cultivating a better relationship with ourselves and the world.

I was first introduced to the practice of conscious silence (also known as "noble silence") at my first mindfulness meditation retreat.

There were about 100 of us at the retreat centre, and we were all asked to observe silence throughout the ten days of the course.

This meant that we had to refrain from all forms of communication with one another, includi…