Turning Down The Noise
The Quiet Power Of Silence In A Busy World
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- $14.99
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
Author Christine Jackman knew her life looked successful - an executive position in Sydney, a house in a harbourside suburb, meetings with CEOs and phone calls with government ministers - but it didn't feel that way. Inside, she felt constantly off balance, her thoughts and internal compass - as well as her ability to care for the people she loved most - drowned out by the noise in her life.
So Jackman embarked on a quest for a better way of being. Turning Down the Noise follows her journey as she explores what is happening to our brains, our lives and our communities as we navigate a never-ending assault on our senses and attention, whether from actual noise, exposure to media or the pings and alerts on our phones. More importantly, she reveals how we can reverse the damage through simple daily acts designed to strip out the stimuli and reclaim the silence.
Seeking ways to channel and capture the clarity and peace of mind so often lacking in our lives, Jackman writes with a lightness of touch, sharing her own experiences and digging into her subject with the zeal of an investigative journalist and an enquiring mind.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Jackman (Inside Kevin 07), a self-described cynical journalist and disenchanted Catholic, delivers an insightful exploration of the potential of contemplative practices. Citing contemporary neurological research and her own experiences, Jackman argues that Buddhist monastic traditions and contemplative prayers can improve mental health and lessen anxiety. Worn down by constant busyness, Jackman looked into meditation as a restorative measure: "I simply wanted to know what this thing was, this calm awareness that was flitting across my consciousness like a bird of rare and beautiful strangeness, one that takes flight whenever you turn to look at it directly." After a silent retreat, a stay at a Trappist abbey, and a Vipassana meditation course, she concluded that silence helped her mental well-being and "provided a gateway back to clarity and awareness." In the book's second half, Jackman surveys sources of literal and figurative noise, among them digital distraction, distance from nature, and overwork, and recommends finding "practices that can be integrated into our daily routines without becoming an extra chore." Jackman can turn a nice phrase, and her down-to-earth tone will endear her to readers: "Silence doesn't have to mean passivity. Silence can be fierce. Focused. Courageous, ingenious, even revolutionary." The combination of curiosity and analysis makes a persuasive case for searching out quiet.
