....the silence between

Yogis,
What caught my attention first this morning was the geese. Flying overhead in formation they headed inland for their day in the fields. A large V shape slicing through the morning sky. And they had a lot to say. Soon they faded off into the distance.

Only a moment later I begin to hear another flock. Much honking ensued above me before they too can no longer be seen or heard. Then another flock. And another. My run filled with the coming and going of sounds of geese.

Arriving at the boardwalk the geese are now replaced by waves. The unmistakable sound of a wave growing until it reaches a peak. Then the thrill of the crash. Over and over in a familiar rhythm. I hear the next wave building as my heartbeat quickens. I wait for it……the crash. Boom.

Then there is a moment of silence.

It’s so quick it would be easy to miss. The following swell already revving up. Yet today I notice. My attention now shifts and I begin seeking out the space between sounds. The gap that exists between the end of one wave and the formation of another. I listen.

Our breath flows the same way. The inhale is the beginning. Building and expanding until it too reaches a peak. The exhale is the dropping and letting go. Then there is a pause.

The pause is always there.

I run back through our patch of woods, startling a squirrel who makes a rustling sound as he scampers across dried leaves. He stops to look back. Silence. Again he runs and heads partway up the tree. He pauses with head cocked. Silence.

Everything moves in a cycle and as each reaches its end, there is a pause. A gap between movements. A space between thoughts. An opening between breaths. In these voids there is nothing, yet everything comes from there. In the blink of an eye a new breath rises.

I invite you to seek the silence. As you sit here, close your eyes and begin watching your breath. Observe the building of the inhale and the release of the exhale. Then wait for the silence. Patience. It is always there.

This is a practice and offers many gifts. In this space, profound peace can be found.

I hear more geese coming,
SARAH