Exploring The Benefits Of Spending Time At A Silent Retreat

Have you tried being silent for a whole day? What about several days? Taking a vow of silence for a few days has a myriad of benefits. Let’s unpack them.

Unless you’re lucky enough to live in a secluded place, far away from the cities, your life is surrounded by noise. It’s the traffic, TV, phones, talking, and noises of all sort. And boy, this can be a hell of stress.

Even when we’re by ourselves, we’re barely in silence. We tend to find someone to talk to; there’s music, videos, you name it and the thing is, most of us rarely experience absolute silence.

What’s A Silent Retreat?

Even if you probably picture a monk sitting in a lotus position in the Himalayan mountains taking a vow of silence, silent retreats are more accessible than ever and everyone who’s mentally prepared to deal with it (I can tell by my own experience, it’s quite hard) can try.

In a silent retreat, participants take a vow of silence for a specific amount of time. It could be one day, a few days, weeks, and in some cases years. That means there’s no talking throughout the whole retreat, it's silence from the moment you wake up, go to your yoga class and meditation, have your meals and go to sleep.

The Benefits of A Silent Retreat

As challenging as it can be, if you’re up to it, you can reap several benefits from going without speaking for a few days. Here are some of them:

You Recharge From Stress

By turning inward through silence, you’ll have the chance to destress and recharge your batteries, and focus on relaxation. On top of that, you might give your mind a break from overthinking and worrying about problems and other life circumstances.

You Benefit From a Digital Detox

You Become More Mindful

You’re more likely to tune with the present moment and connect with what’s happening not only around you, but also within. Mindfulness can improve your overall health, boost your immune system and improve your night’s sleep.