My Journey: Learning to Sit in Silence.

Dear friends,

Today I am sharing a journal entry that feels tender and vulnerable, but also deeply hopeful. My prayer is that in these words you might glimpse the light that can shine even after the darkest of days.

Back in 2015, my body and mind could no longer carry the weight of years of unprocessed childhood trauma, chronic pain, and illness. I broke. In the lowest of moments, I tried to take my own life and found myself in a mental health facility.

And yet on that day, when everything felt shattered, a crack of light broke through. It was the beginning of a slow, stumbling walk back toward forgiveness, faith, and peace.

One of the most surprising companions I found on this new path was silence. Not the kind of silence that feels empty and lonely, but a silence that holds you, teaches you, and makes room for healing.

At first, sitting in silence was uncomfortable. It forced me to face the emotions and memories I had long buried under noise and distraction. But as I kept showing up, silence shifted. It became an inner sanctuary, a space to breathe, reflect, and slowly gather the scattered pieces of myself.

Through this practice and through prayer I began to create intentional moments of solitude. Choosing silence became a way of saying yes to myself, to my healing, and to God’s gentle presence. Over time, silence stopped feeling like a void and became a place of peace and resilience. It has helped me regulate my emotions, soften my pain, and remember who I truly am.

Even now, ten years on, I am still learning. There are hard days. But silence continues to meet me with strength when I feel weak, and clarity when I feel lost.

If you, too, are seeking silence to hear yourself and find yourself, perhaps these gentle practices might help:

• Create quiet corners. Find or make a safe little space to retreat to ~ an altar for prayer, or a nook for journaling and reflection.

• Breathe deeply. When the noise of the world feels overwhelming, breath is the simplest way to calm the nervous system. (I’ll be sharing some of my own breath meditations soon.)

• Write or draw. Let silence invite words, sketches, or even simple scribbles that help release what’s inside.

• Allow rest. Science shows that silence restores the brain, reduces stress, and supports healing in ways we often overlook.

• Trust the process. Silence may feel strange at first, but with time it becomes less of an empty space and more of a sanctuary.

For me, silence has been both teacher and healer. It has turned down the volume of external distraction and turned up the voice of my authentic self reminding me of my worth, my dreams, and my purpose.

It is, in many ways, why I am here in this studio today, creating art and holding space for mindful living.

With love,

Lisa Raie