(2) Maximise Bath Time!
When I need time on my own, I book the bathroom, fill the bath with essential oils and turn off the light. I am lucky to have several trees at the bottom of my garden, and with the bathroom window open, the sound of the leaves is very conducive for reflecting. Even if you don’t have trees to listen to, a warm bath with the lights off will allow you time

One of the downsides of our modern pace of life however is that even in so-called rural areas, noise continues to encroach – from the busy bypass, on the high street, as the train goes by, from planes overhead. Inside the home the situation is the same – round the clock television and radio, electronic toys, mobile phone ring tones, and the sound of washing machines, kettles, vacuum cleaners and extractor fans fill the air.

Undoubtedly these are all benefits of living in a modern, affluent world, and as such their downsides are something to be accepted. But the real downside of modern living isn’t simply the noise generated. Busy, noisy lives full of sensory stimulation leave little time for periods of reflection, introspection and peace. We need the sound of silence, to paraphrase Simon and Garfunkel, to give us space to think, and to draw upon our inner resources.

Our inner resources are both our first and last defence mechanism; it’s no surprise that most organised religions advocate quiet prayer and reflection for connecting with our spiritual selves and with energies, higher powers, call them what you will, to find the answers we need within us.

But how can we find silence within the cacophony of modern living? It’s not always easy, but with a little diligence we can all recreate the conditions for quiet reflection, if not the actual silence. Listed below are ten suggestions.

(1) Breathe!
When everyone is watching TV, find a deserted room upstairs, close your eyes and listen to your breathing. The quiet room merely allows us to concentrate on the only sound – our breaths in and out. Closing our eyes filters out yet another level of distraction and allows us to centre on our breath, and on how it slows down and becomes deeper as we focus on nothing else. Deep breathing is a well-known method for inducing calm and a relaxed, pre-meditative state – both of which are ideal for allowing us to look within and reflect on our day.

(2) Maximise Bath Time!
When I need time on my own, I book the bathroom, fill the bath with essential oils and turn off the light. I am lucky to have several trees at the bottom of my garden, and with the bathroom window open, the sound of the leaves is very conducive for reflecting. Even if you don’t have trees to listen to, a warm bath with the lights off will allow you time

Undoubtedly these are all benefits of living in a modern, affluent world, and as such their downsides are something to be accepted. But the real downside of modern living isn’t simply the noise generated. Busy, noisy lives full of sensory stimulation leave little time for periods of reflection, introspection and peace. We need the sound of silence, to paraphrase Simon and Garfunkel, to give us space to think, and to draw upon our inner resources.

Our inner resources are both our first and last defence mechanism; it’s no surprise that most organised religions advocate quiet prayer and reflection for connecting with our spiritual selves and with energies, higher powers, call them what you will, to find the answers we need within us.

But how can we find silence within the cacophony of modern living? It’s not always easy, but with a little diligence we can all recreate the conditions for quiet reflection, if not the actual silence. Listed below are ten suggestions.

(1) Breathe!
When everyone is watching TV, find a deserted room upstairs, close your eyes and listen to your breathing. The quiet room merely allows us to concentrate on the only sound – our breaths in and out. Closing our eyes filters out yet another level of distraction and allows us to centre on our breath, and on how it slows down and becomes deeper as we focus on nothing else. Deep breathing is a well-known method for inducing calm and a relaxed, pre-meditative state – both of which are ideal for allowing us to look within and reflect on our day.

(2) Maximise Bath Time!
When I need time on my own, I book the bathroom, fill the bath with essential oils and turn off the light. I am lucky to have several trees at the bottom of my garden, and with the bathroom window open, the sound of the leaves is very conducive for reflecting. Even if you don’t have trees to listen to, a warm bath with the lights off will allow you time

Our inner resources are both our first and last defence mechanism; it’s no surprise that most organised religions advocate quiet prayer and reflection for connecting with our spiritual selves and with energies, higher powers, call them what you will, to find the answers we need within us.

But how can we find silence within the cacophony of modern living? It’s not always easy, but with a little diligence we can all recreate the conditions for quiet reflection, if not the actual silence. Listed below are ten suggestions.

(1) Breathe!
When everyone is watching TV, find a deserted room upstairs, close your eyes and listen to your breathing. The quiet room merely allows us to concentrate on the only sound – our breaths in and out. Closing our eyes filters out yet another level of distraction and allows us to centre on our breath, and on how it slows down and becomes deeper as we focus on nothing else. Deep breathing is a well-known method for inducing calm and a relaxed, pre-meditative state – both of which are ideal for allowing us to look within and reflect on our day.

(2) Maximise Bath Time!
When I need time on my own, I book the bathroom, fill the bath with essential oils and turn off the light. I am lucky to have several trees at the bottom of my garden, and with the bathroom window open, the sound of the leaves is very conducive for reflecting. Even if you don’t have trees to listen to, a warm bath with the lights off will allow you time

(1) Breathe!
When everyone is watching TV, find a deserted room upstairs, close your eyes and listen to your breathing. The quiet room merely allows us to concentrate on the only sound – our breaths in and out. Closing our eyes filters out yet another level of distraction and allows us to centre on our breath, and on how it slows down and becomes deeper as we focus on nothing else. Deep breathing is a well-known method for inducing calm and a relaxed, pre-meditative state – both of which are ideal for allowing us to look within and reflect on our day.

(2) Maximise Bath Time!
When I need time on my own, I book the bathroom, fill the bath with essential oils and turn off the light. I am lucky to have several trees at the bottom of my garden, and with the bathroom window open, the sound of the leaves is very conducive for reflecting. Even if you don’t have trees to listen to, a warm bath with the lights off will allow you time

(2) Maximise Bath Time!
When I need time on my own, I book the bathroom, fill the bath with essential oils and turn off the light. I am lucky to have several trees at the bottom of my garden, and with the bathroom window open, the sound of the leaves is very conducive for reflecting. Even if you don’t have trees to listen to, a warm bath with the lights off will allow you time to let your mind wander within as your body relaxes and unwinds - however don’t get too relaxed and fall asleep!

(3) Tune in to the weather
Although we may prefer hot sunny days, nature provides us with a free and varied programme of inspiration and beauty. Wind, the sound of rain and even distant thunderstorms can provide sounds ranging from serenity to raw energy, and allow us to muse on nature, and our place in it.

(4) Put time aside to be alone Now and again I wait until the rest of the house is in bed, then I turn off the lights, find somewhere comfortable to sit (my son’s beanbag is often called upon), I put on some headphones and listen to some (quiet) music or a guided meditation. It helps to let your family know that you’d like some quiet time. If you’re an early bird, the same short routine (10 minutes to half an hour is usually all I need) could be repeated before anyone gets up in the morning.

(5) Listen to your favourite music
Ideally you should wear headphones, and not have the music on too loud. Classical, ambient or world music probably works best, or at least nothing too brash or upbeat: the aim is to refresh and relax, not to have you dancing around the room!

(6) Take a break near water
It doesn’t matter what type of water - the sea, a lake or fountain in the park, a running river, babbling brook or even a canal will do. If you have a fish tank, that works as well. The aim is to give some time over to watching the ripples on the water, the bubbles and the ebb and flow, and to tune into our own flow. We are on average composed of 50 – 60% water; the movement of water in nature is re-enacted in our own bodies.

(7) Reflect on Nature
It can be a tree, a flower, a field, or the stars at night. Notice the natural wonders in your landscape and try to connect with nature. I recently spent a wonderful hour on a balcony while on holiday, gazing at the stars, when I noticed that the night sky appeared very different from the sky at home in the UK. I later realised I’d been reflecting on some pretty big issues