What 10 days of silence taught me

10 Days of Silence: What I Learned When Everything Fell Away

I’ve just returned from a 10-day silent retreat in Worcester… and I won’t deny that it was tough!

Not because of the silence itself, but because of what the silence took away. There were no distractions. No writing, no reading, no music, no visualisations or verbalisations allowed. Nothing for my mind to latch onto or escape into. Just nature, a very structured daily rhythm (including a 4 a.m. wake-up gong!), and long stretches of stillness. And the breath - only breath, just breath, mere breath.

And in that stillness, everything I usually avoid or craved… surfaced. I realised that I dislike boredom and crave being constantly busy, doing things, giving things. I also realised that my mind is often either in the past or in the future, and I either remember that what was pleasant or unpleasant - nothing inbetween. The invitation during these 10 days was to feel into presence - this moment. This NOW.

In the beginning, my body resisted. My mind felt restless, scattered, almost desperate for something familiar to hold onto. The first three days were especially challenging. I was practicing the anapana breath technique, simply observing the breath, but honestly… I felt very little sensation. Nothing at all. Just a busy mind and a body that didn’t want to cooperate.

But something began to shift around day four.

Almost subtly, my nervous system started to settle. My awareness deepened. I began to notice my thoughts instead of getting pulled into them. I could feel feeble, to subtle, to more acute sensations in my body more clearly. And most importantly, I started to observe without reacting.

That’s when the real experience began to make sense to me.

For the remaining six days, we practiced Vipassana: an awareness of bodily sensations and breath (respiration) with a quality of equanimity (calmness) and observation. And the experience was profound!

Not in a dramatic, "seeing bright lights", or overwhelming way, but in a quiet, grounded awareness.

I began to relax into my body. My mind became more clear. My breath steadied. I realised how much wisdom lives in simply being present with awareness.

These 10 days spent in silence, reminded me of a few simple, powerful truths:

• Every moment is sacred

• The breath connects me intimately to every living being

• Presence is the doorway to a full and meaningful life

• Thoughts are just thoughts—they come and go

• Sensations are always changing

• Equanimity is essential for a regulated, grounded nervous system

In just a few days, I began to understand, not just intellectually, but in my body the value of this Vispassana practice. It’s now something I feel deeply committed to continuing in my daily life.

There’s a quote that captures this experience beautifully:

"If you are at peace, you are living in the present." — Lao Tzu

And perhaps that’s what these 10 days gave me: not striving towards perfection or performance, but a deeper relationship with presence, and the experience of what true peace feels like, no matter what the circumstances.

The body loves its breath and stillness.

Check out the conscious breathing breath practice on my website under resources.

With Love and Light,
Milandre