The Need for Silence

May 15, 2011 | By | 2 Comments

With the help of technology, this is being posted while I am in the middle of a week-long silent meditation retreat. Actually, it’s not the middle, it is day two.

For me, day two is the toughest day. My back is hurting as I sit in one position for eight hours a day. “No moving!!” is the reprimand of the meditation leader if we scratch our nose or reposition our posture.

My mind has moved past the relief of being in a beautiful setting and away from email. It is resisting my attempts to focus on my breathing, to letting go of my random thoughts, judgments of fellow meditators not sitting still and how stupid I am for being here in the first place.

Day two sucks – I’d rather be watching cable.

Filed in: Personal Growth

About the Author (Author Profile)

Executive coach, top team facilitator, author and speaker. I work with individual leaders and their teams to help navigate personal and professional transitions and to increase leadership capacity and improve communication and relationship skills. I founded my coaching firm in 2001 following 12 years as a CEO. Check out more on me and my coaching process in my book "The Business of Wanting More: Why Some Executives Move from Success to Fulfillment and Others Don't"

Comments (2)

  1. Jorge Perelman

    Thanks for your honesty on your silent retreat experience. What did you learn from your yearnings on day two? Would you do it again? Do you recommend it? I was thinking of going to one myself…best
    Jorge from Mexico

    • Jorge – I have done a lot of growth work and Zen is what I keep going back to. What I learn in these experiences is how much confusion my mind creates and how much I let my mind indulge in judgment of others, shame toward myself and other useless thinking. Meditation clears up the confusion and what is left is a peaceful, compassionate heart that I want to stay connected to – a better place to related, lead, teach and coach from. I highly encourage this – go to http://www.hollowbones.org – there is one in Colorado in Oct.

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