Silence Is Good For You

We've probably all been told "silence is golden" at one point, probably by an adult when we were kids.

Before I got married and had my own kids, I spent time determining if I wanted to be a Catholic priest. Prior to finally going to the seminary to see if it was for me, I made the first of what would turn out to be annual silent retreats at the Jesuit Spirituality Center in gorgeous Grand Coteau, Louisiana. Outside of an hour-long meeting with a spiritual director each day, those of us on the retreat were required to remain silent the entire time.

As a nineteen year old, I thought this would be impossible. At first, it was difficult, but once I became used to the silence, I felt a tremendous peace that I hadn't felt before.

It's been ten years since I've made a silent retreat. Work and parenting have kept me away, but I'm planning on returning to Grand Coteau later this month. You don't need to go on a retreat to soak in the benefits of silence, however. You can use a pair of ear plugs or time alone to be still and silent. Below are just a few of the health benefits medical science has discovered result from spending time in silence (click here to read the full article on the health benefits of silence)

Noise and especially noise over 30 decibels is associated with high blood pressure, anxiety, and stress.

Silence lowers blood pressure.

Your mind "recharges" more in silence than it does during sleep.

Silence boosts your immune system.

Silence makes you happy, spending time in silence boosts your brain chemistry.

Silence reduces stress (lowers blood cortisol levels and adrenaline levels) which is the biggest killer in the world. Spending 30 minutes in silence a day can change your life.

Silence allows for good hormone regulation and interaction of all the hormone related systems in your body.

Silence keeps plaques from forming in arteries… and thus helping to prevent cardiovascular disease and strokes.

Silence reduces pain, and also helps your brain to become more interactive, thus you work with more of your brain… leading to higher cognitive abilities.

Silence makes you much more capable of deal with emotional issues… and also reduces loneliness.

Do you ever spend any time in silence, outside of sleeping? Let us know on Facebook!