Bath yourself in profound Silence during our Buteyko Wellness Retreat in Crestone, Colorado
Like a fish swimming in dirty water, most modern people live in “noise pollution” created by a stream of phone alerts, cars passing by, social media, news, background music, etc. This unnatural environment triggers an “information overload,” contributing to hyperventilation. Overbreathing, as many of you know, negatively affects overall health, becoming a feeding ground for various diseases. Silence, an ancient healing tool that is rarely used in the 21st century, can remedy this issue, generating numerous benefits for breath, body, and mind.
While staying in Crestone, CO, arguably one of the world’s quietest places, participants of the Sacred Breath retreat will spend a significant time cultivating an intentional time of quiet stillness. This reflective period is proven to be beneficial in many ways, especially those related to stress relief. Research studies confirm that in our noisy world, time immersed in silence can significantly improve our well-being.
1. Decreased breathing rate and increased vital energy (CO2 in the lungs):
When you talk, most likely, you lose carbon dioxide or prana. By being silent, you can replenish your CO2 storage. In addition, silence makes breathing patterns softer and steadier and supports the increase of Positive Maximum Pause.
2. Stress-reduction
Silence allows a person to create a mental reset and process thoughts and feelings which could have been piling in the mind for years. It’s an opportunity to integrate your experience and dimmish long-term stress. Many people find that solitude and silence allow them to connect with their “inner voice” and stop suppressing feelings or thoughts that habitually get pushed aside. Spacing out in silence creates opportunities to rest, relax and recharge.
On the contrary, noisy and “chaotic” environments are known to increase perceptions of stress, including by raising “stress hormones,” such as cortisol and adrenaline.
3. Improved mental clarity, increased focus and cognition.
Many studies show that we can think and process our emotions most efficiently when we aren’t distracted by noise in our environments. The human mind tends to become quieter and more precise when enveloped in silence. With improved clarity comes the ability to make better decisions.
4. Improved Sleep
While some people claim to fall asleep more easily with soap operas or music playing in the background, most people sleep best in silence. This is because the top layer of the mind, which often keeps itself busy at night doing problem-solving, becomes more relaxed, creating space for deep rest.
5. Better Productivity and Creativity
After a reset in silence, the human mind becomes calmer and more focused, which often leads to enhanced productivity when time comes to work. The opposite is true: an overwhelmed and distracted mind finds it harder to generate creativity and joy at work. Some research even shows that silence can stimulate growth of new brain cells in parts of the brain responsible for learning and decision-making.
Conclusion:
Though an absence of sound may be uncomfortable and suggest loneliness for some people, you may discover that dialing down the noise offers surprising fullness for breath, body, and mind. Silence naturally helps us to relax by increasing the activity of the parasympathetic nervous system, which helps us “rest and digest.”
The research conducted in 2003 concluded that a chronically noisy environment could be associated with increased heart rate and blood pressure. Another study taking place in 2006 found that a 2-minute period of silence after listening to music significantly reduced subjects’ heart rate and blood pressure. Even compared to slow, relaxing music, silence resulted in more significant decreases in heart rate.
During the Sacred Breath retreat, the participants will spend a significant part of each day in silence and, in addition to it, will practice Buteyko breathing exercises, meditation, chanting, and other CO2-boosting techniques. This creates an ideal mandala for health improvement, nourished by peaceful breathing.
Learn more about Sacred Breath – Buteyko Wellness Retreat.
“Only a Silent Mind Can Be a Healing Mind”
Deepak Chopra
