Silence

In our ever busy modern society I find that silence has become a precious commodity.

Whether conversations, notifications or just background noise, we seem to be bombarded almost constantly.

At home with a 3-year-old and a soon to be 1-year-old, silence only really appears around 10pm, and by that time you are too tired to fully savour it.

And so, ironically, it is in the middle of the woods with five dogs bouncing and playing that I find my silence.

If I have chosen my walk spot and trails carefully then we are normally undisturbed.

The sound of nature is allowed to prevail. Despite the excited dogs you are able to hear streams, birds, the wind or the rain. I fully appreciate the irony of describing audible sounds when writing about silence.

It is in these settings that one can both simultaneously use up your physical battery whilst recharging your mental battery.

There is something ever so satisfying with hearing your own footsteps as you walk, and yet at the same time hearing the rhythmic thundering of many paws running happily.

In this way your daily dog walk serves as a mini reset. A sort of detox and meditation get-away from the ever increasing pace of life.

I will add two final thoughts on this.

1. You can absolutely choose whatever pace you feel you need on a given walk. Sometimes a fast run, on other occasions a meandering amble.

2. I would encourage everyone to not use headphones when out on a walk in nature. Listen and take in your surroundings, and it will also give you a vital heads up if you are approaching other people or dogs.

If you are interested in Silence, I can highly recommend the book of the same name by Erling Kagge, the Norwegian Explorer, Philosopher and Author.

Doggies: Jello, Quila, Freia, Oscar and Ibsen