Have you recently found yourself on a quiet beach away from your ordinary fast-paced routine? Did the silence feel weird to your ears or even disturb you? Chances are that now you can more clearly hear your thoughts. By practicing controlled speech, this silence can bring you inner peace, according to Hindu philosophy, in a healing process called ‘Mauna’.
Take a moment to realize how many sounds there are around you at this exact moment. As a contemporary individual, you exist and interact amid a constant presence of sounds, varying from the city traffic and your devices’ notifications to people around you talking all the time (fun fact: the average person speaks at least 7,000 words a day), which you have learned to ignore. This is why you may feel weird or nervous when finding yourself in a very quiet place. However, by practicing Mauna, you can turn this nervousness into relaxation and mindfulness.
Mauna: What is it?
Often seen in Yoga, the word ‘Mauna’ originates from Sanskrit and means ‘silence’. It describes a practice that helps us to focus our mind on both physical and mental silence, but in an organized and targeted way. In Hindu philosophy, Mauna, which has a voice of its own, refers to peace of mind, in the form of inner peace.
According to yoga guru and spiritual teacher, Swami Sivananda, much of people’s energy is wasted on talking. Miscellaneous talking can only distract the mind and make an individual unspiritual. A vow of silence must be practiced once a week. If someone does not allow anything to come out from the mind through the ‘organ of speech’, they can meet considerable peace.
“Be careful in the selection of your words before you speak. Think thrice before you speak. Consider what effect the words will produce on the feeling of others. Observe Mauna for a couple of years…Do not argue unnecessarily. Argument brings about hostility, heated feelings and a wastage of energy,
…he explained.
In this way, Saraswati notes, Mauna acts as an equivalent “fasting for the mind.” Just as a fast from eating clears the body, Mauna can clear the mind and free mental energy.
Mauna and mental health onboard
Mental health is a key issue for every workplace, including seafaring which is characterized by increased workload and isolation. Rhythms onboard a ship can be extremely fast-paced, leaving little room for relaxing and achieving internal peace, while separation from loved ones can only add negatively to anxiety and stress.
Meanwhile, by practicing silence, we can more easily control our emotions and eliminate irritability tendencies. By stopping talking, we stop lying. Mauna can gradually confer us the peace of mind, and this condition makes any mental suffering easier to bear. This is how Mauna can be linked to meditation.
We have discussed several times the psychological benefits of mindfulness meditation, which refers to experiencing 100% the current moment, free from distraction or judgment, but fully aware of your thoughts and feelings without dwelling on them. This can eventually decrease traits such as fear, stress, and anxiety while enhancing the part of the brain responsible for emotional regulation, planning, and problem-solving.
Mauna: More than just silence
So, if someone wants to practice Mauna, they may begin by simply not talking. However, Mauna is far more than just silence. While it becomes understood that silence of mind is not achievable without according control of the vocal organ, simply not talking cannot bring the inner peace that is the ultimate goal of Mauna.
The basic idea is that both our mouths and our minds need to be silenced at the same time. This means that it makes no sense to turn off phones, windows or lights in order to focus, when crazy thoughts are spinning uncontrollably inside your mind.
Mauna: Ideal places for practicing silence
- Your personal safe space, whatever this is
- Looking at the sunrise or sunset
- Somewhere high, with a panoramic view
- Near water, such as rivers, sea
- Out in the nature, such as in a forest, in your neighborhood park or anywhere with green
Mauna: How to do it
- Take yourself to a space without sounds
- If there are still ambient sounds, such as a car passing by or your neighbors yelling, just don’t mind and let these sounds be.
- Start low by setting a period of silence for 15-20 minutes
- Turn off any device that may distract you
- Clearly define your goal, which is a break from thinking
- Avoid focusing your look on a specific point, just look around vaguely
- Focus on your breath as a perfect distraction to your urge to think.
Alternatively, take yourself for a walk in a natural environment and focus on your steps instead of your breathing. Rely on the rhythmic sounds of nature: waves, wind, or birds chirping. By practicing Mauna correctly, you will be able to calm your mind down, silence your dispersed thoughts and discipline your transient emotions.
