Atharv’s Chronicle 15-12-2025 : “POWER OF SILENCE!”

Recently, I spent two days (around 42 hours) at a silent meditation retreat at the Mahabodhi Society, Bangalore.
People who know me well already know this about me – I take impromptu breaks once in a while. No big planning. No overthinking. Just stepping away when something inside asks for space.
And every single time I do this, I come back a slightly better version of myself.

This time, it had been a while since I had taken such a break. Life had slowly become noisy again – not externally, but mentally. Then one random message from a friend about this meditation discourse came in. I registered immediately. No second thoughts. No expectations.
Coincidentally, I also had free time that weekend after a very long time. And honestly, I loved how I spent it – just with myself.

The Experience

The retreat was conducted entirely in silence.
– No talking.
– No phones.
– No distractions.
Even though I enjoy silence and have previous meditation experience, the first few hours were not easy at all. My mind was restless. Thoughts kept jumping from one place to another, craving stimulation.

We began with breathing meditation (Ānāpāna Sati) – simply observing the breath as it is. No control. No judgment. Just awareness.
Sounds simple. But doing only that is surprisingly difficult.
The mind doesn’t like being idle. It wants something – noise, input, problems, memories, plans.

Later, we moved to walking meditation, where every step is taken consciously. Feeling the ground. Observing the movement. Being fully present with each action.
We practiced these for hours. Almost the entire day.

Initially, the sessions felt forceful – not because of the practice itself, because in recent times, my brain wasn’t used to functioning without constant external stimulation.
Phones were surrendered.
The surroundings were lush green.
And there was deep, uninterrupted silence.
No escape.

At some point, I stopped resisting and allowed my mind to surrender. That moment was uncomfortable… but necessary.

What Silence Reveals

When I could no longer force my attention only on the breath, something interesting happened.
Instead of fighting my thoughts, I started **observing them**.
– I watched my patterns.
– I noticed recurring emotions.
– I questioned why certain feelings existed.
– I saw what I was holding onto – and more importantly, why.
– There were moments of clarity.
– There were moments of emotional heaviness.
– There were moments where old anxieties surfaced quietly, without drama.
I also spent a few hours visualising my dreams – in detail. The kind of detail we don’t usually give ourselves time for in daily life.
Silence doesn’t give answers immediately – It creates space for honesty.

After Coming Back

When the retreat ended and I returned home, the changes were subtle but powerful.
– My mental barriers felt lighter.
– I was reminded of a routine I had lost.
– Restarting discipline felt natural, not forced.
– I could let go of things I had been clinging to unnecessarily.
– My anxiety reduced noticeably.
– And most surprisingly – I could feel my energy again.
Not excitement.
Not hype.

Just calm, steady energy.
And underneath it all – happiness.

Quiet happiness.

What I Truly Realised

There is a strange, comforting power in silence.
When you sit with it long enough, it begins to show you patterns – about your thoughts, your fears, your attachments, and your desires.
Most of the time, we run away from silence because it confronts us with ourselves.
But once you stop resisting, it becomes a mirror.

So I urge each one of you – take a break once in a while.
Disconnect from the noisy external world.
Disconnect from constant stimulation.
And reconnect with yourself – or the universe, or the cosmos, whatever you choose to call it.
You might not find instant answers.
But you will definitely find yourself.

See you in the next one!
Atharv Prasanna