There was a clip on TV last night about a man who records the sounds of silence, or more precisely the sounds of nature.
He had a sophisticated set of equipment with sensitive microphones embedded in the ears of a model of a human head, to capture what we would hear if we were in the forest, on a mountain or at a beach.
He said he is finding it harder and harder to find places where man-made noise is not present - cars, planes, trains, sirens, chatter, machinery, etc.
Quiet and peace go together.
Broadly speaking noise is anything that disturbs our thoughts, meaning noise is not only what we hear, it's what we think and what we see. We are bombarded with a constant barrage of images and sounds, leading to feelings of anxiety and confusion - not at all peaceful.
If we want to be filled with peace the first step is to find a quiet place - both literally and figuratively, external and internal.
It's possible to work from the inside out, finding peace from within and exhibiting that peace in our day to day actions, but it helps to have some moments of solitude and silence to practice - quieting our minds, breathing, focusing and being present.
A person who has practiced, in solitude and silence, can find peace and internal quiet on a busy street corner amidst the traffic noise, sirens, and chatter - in the hustle and bustle of a shopping mall, in a hospital room with people worried and in pain.
Anywhere.
But we need that space to practice first.
Every so often practice quiet and peace - turn off the TV, radio, computer - be with your self, practice your breathing and clearing your mind.
