A compact book overflowing with succinct wisdom. The accidental aesthetic harmony of its lettering, illuminated by the contrast of the table, and the tone of a simple cup of tea. Sustenance contained within essential vessels. Contents that warm the soul.
A good friend and yoga teacher alerted me to this wonderful book before leading me through a powerful pranayama practice involving The Pause, essentially allowing a natural break at the end of the exhale and the inhale, without strain, without effort.*
It was one of the most calming and elevating experiences that my ordinarily chaotic mind, so resistant to rest, has had the joy to experience. Moments of clear wonder.
Just as yoga is a tool for cultivating a sense of our deeper selves, of tuning into what lies beneath, which can then help us better connect with and see the world more clearly, so too with silence. And just as our body and our breath is always there, available for us to turn to, so is silence, if we pause to notice.
As Erling Kagge puts it, silence is "a practical method for uncovering answers to the intriguing puzzle that is yourself, and for helping to gain a new perspective on whatever is hiding beyond the horizon."
*The word pranayama, broken down into its Sanskrit components, means and signifies the proper regulation of breath, which is our life force, our essential energy. Prana means breath, yama means pause. So by controlling our breath, consciously focusing on our inhales and exhales, while pausing to get the full benefit of each, we are channelling the full capacity of out vital energy.