At Ease

Restorative Ease and Silence

How wonderful it is to do nothing and rest afterward. Spanish Proverb

Ease and silence are rare skills in our fast-paced world. It takes will power and practice to overcome the sea of information confronting us and the task doing that populates our days.  Do you practice doing nothing, resting, and cultivating ease every day? If your answer is ‘very little’, you are starving your brain and feeding an effort-filled life. 

The dictionary states: ease implies comfort, or a relaxed condition absent of effort or pressure: a life of ease. Comfort suggests a sense of well-being and ease fosters quiet happiness and contentment. Ease as a verb means to be free from pain, burdens, tensions, e.g. I want to ease my worries, suffering, distractions, etc. 

Silence nourishes your brain. For example, research into the most restful types of music—classical, rock, instrumental, pop, hip-hop, etc.—revealed that none of these styles was as restful as the silence between the notes. Silence is restorative. Your heart and brain connections suggest that what is good for the brain is good for your heart.

Some Charlson Meadows guests like to disappear into a favorite nature spot while others find solitude sitting peacefully on the deck. Guests often discover nooks and crannies to perch in or around our Nancy Nelson Lake House. Some simply stare out the windows or retreat to their cozy rooms.  How appropriate.   

It doesn’t matter how you use unstructured time at Charlson Meadows. It is simple: investing in ease and silence provides dividends in better health and wellness.  

Sharon Franquemont
Program Director