Guiding Your Children Toward Cultivating Silence and Honoring Sound

www.SharonBallantine.com

Guiding your Children Toward Cultivating Silence and Honoring Sound.

Golden Quiet and Inspired Noise:

http://www.sharonballantine.com



It’s a noisy world for all of us. With the endless cacophony of cell

phones, laptops, tablets, iPods, television, traffic on the ground and in the sky, and

all the sounds of general human congestion, it can be difficult for any of us

to hear ourselves think.



Lucky for us, the din of everyday life can be useful and beneficial, too. We all possess the ability to tap into the reverberating

sounds and energies of life and piggyback on them in order to raise up our vibration.

Anyone who has “cranked up” their car stereo on their morning commute can

relate to this.



It can be invigorating to have a lot of energy going on all around. Playing loud music and dancing for example, can raise one’s vibration and that can be positive for someone trying to muster the energy

to dig into any kind of project.



We can also tune into the expanded space of silence when we are searching for clarity,

openness or deep focus.



As 21st century humans, it seems that we are intuitively wired to tune in to rising

energies. In fact, it can even happen without our awareness. If you have ever attended a concert or a parade you have undoubtedly

experience this first hand.



Put on your child’s favorite song at bed time, turn up the volume loud,

and you will see how subconsciously susceptible they are to the rising and

falling energy of sound.



There are definitely times when noise and higher energy vibrations are conducive to creating new work or getting things done.

Some people actually function best in a noisy environment.



They may need to have the radio on in order to do their work or have the sound of

a TV in the background so they can go to sleep at night. They may believe that they

are “multi-tasking” while listening to a YouTube tutorial and playing video games, and this may be true. Yet, research shows

that multitasking can subvert the possibility of doing tasks with a high level of

competence.



As with sound, we are also strongly influenced by silence. It can be valuable to explore our working relationship with

both silence and sound.



Where sound and noise seem to be in abundance in our world, it can sometimes

be more difficult to access silence.



As adults, it is likely that we have cultivated some practice for finding silence

in an increasingly noisy world. Our children, who have been bombarded by noise all of their lives, may not have had the opportunity to find a special place for

silence in their lives.



Some kids get desensitized to the din that is all around them. It can affect

their nervous system in ways that they are not aware of and their ability

to focus without noise can become compromised.



When we or our children become dependent on external stimulation to boost our energy and

keep us going, whether it be through technology or human interaction, we can disconnect from

the ability to raise our vibration without outside intervention. We may forget how to be

autonomous and focused and self driven.



Harnessing external energy can be a great way to get work done, but it is

useful to experiment with finding silence as well. There is something about

working in silence that can facilitate a state of single-minded clarity and focus

that can enable one to produce work of a high caliber with ease and grace.



Take notice: Do your children want to turn on the television or the radio the

minute they come home from school? Are they plugged into their iPod or iPad in the car and outside and everywhere they go? Are they challenged when asked to work

on a single task in complete silence?



Are you similarly afflicted with an inability to sit and focus in silence? It is possible that you are modeling these behaviors for your children.



Perhaps you push more noise in their direction by encouraging frequent chatter. Sometimes constant efforts to connect and

engage with our kids subverts their ability to enjoy simple silence.




We all want to know about our children’s lives and interests. Sharing is valuable

for developing strong connections. Still, it is just as important to cultivate healthy

relationships around silence.



Most of us have heard it said that silence is golden. Silence provides space for true

reflection. When we model for our children--through our actions--that it is

okay to be silent, they will follow suit.



It may be awkward at first, but over time we will notice simple and meaningful

engagement arising. Everyone will begin to feel deeper connection.



Consider taking “listening walks” with your children. Practice walking in silence and then return and share with each other all

the sounds you’ve noticed.



You will all start to realize how much more you see and drink in with your senses. You

will begin to sense that time is slowing down. Your energy will grow calmer and

you will all begin to notice the subtle voice of your Internal Guidance System (IGS)

directing you through life.



As you and your children grow more tuned into your present surroundings and more

sensitive to your relationship with your IGS, you can begin to deepen the practice of co-

creating your lives. You can tap into the higher vibrational energies of sound and

action, and tune into the subtle encouragements and whispers that rise up

from the depths of your inner silence.



By modeling mindfulness with your relationship to sound and silence and by

embracing the value of both energies, you will find that you and your children can have

a more robust palate with which to create your world and the lives you want.


http://www.sharonballantine.com/

http://www.sharonballantine.com/

Guiding Your Children Toward Cultivating Silence and Honoring Sound

Lifestyle