Module 6: Communal Stillness
When silence is shared, something sacred opens.
What to Expect
Throughout this journey, you’ve learned to meet silence as presence—not absence—and to carry quiet into your everyday life. Now we turn to the final movement in this practice: sharing the silence together.
When we are still in the company of others, something shifts. There is a different kind of awareness when hearts, bodies, and minds rest together in the same space—whether that space is a living room, a chapel, or a small square on a Zoom screen. Shared stillness does not diminish personal encounter with God; instead, it enlarges it. We learn to listen with one another, to rest in the same Presence, to let our breathing, posture, and attention attune in ways that gently hold space for all who are gathered.
In this module, you’ll explore:
The Power of Collective Silence – how shared stillness amplifies awareness, connection, and spiritual depth.
Holding Space for Others – cultivating an environment where people feel safe enough to be present as they are.
Listening With, Not Just For – allowing your awareness to expand beyond your own encounter to sense what God may be doing in the group.
Co-Regulation and Shared Presence – how nervous systems settle in the presence of calm, regulated bodies, and how this shapes the atmosphere.
Practice
Group Silence with Reflection
This can be in person or online.
Begin with a short shared breath or grounding exercise.
Enter a set time of silence together (you may choose 10–30 minutes for this practice).
Close with gentle reflection—each participant sharing one word, image, or sensation they noticed.
Somatic Focus
Co-Regulation & Shared Presence
Notice how your own body responds when others around you are settled and at ease.
Pay attention to your breathing, heart rate, and muscle tone as you rest in the shared quiet.
Recognize that your own grounded presence contributes to the collective sense of safety and openness.
Looking Ahead: Retreat Opportunities
Your practice does not end here. This course is an entryway into deeper, longer, and more communal experiences of silence. You are warmly invited to join us for these upcoming retreats—both online and in person.
Online
The Practice of Silence – A Self-Paced Journey
Launching August 2025
6 guided modules
Video and audio reflections
Somatic tools for nervous system regulation
Scripture woven into quiet practice
Breathwork, poetry, and gentle presence
Half-Day Virtual Retreat in November 2025 – a live, guided sacred pause to rest and return.
In-Person
February 2026 – Full-Day Silent Retreat
Blacksburg, VA
A one-day sacred pause for those who long to rest in stillness, be nourished by silence, and return to themselves and to God. Open to all participants of The Practice of Silence and to any who desire a retreat rooted in spiritual and somatic grounding.
Summer 2026 – Weekend Silent Retreat
Location TBA
A Friday–Sunday immersive experience of stillness, guided practices, contemplative liturgy, and sacred rest. Limited spaces will be available, with details released in early 2026.
The Invitation
Communal stillness is not about perfection, performance, or producing something—it’s about meeting one another in the same Presence. When we rest together, we witness the quiet work of God in ways we cannot always see alone.
As you complete this module, consider where you might begin sharing silence—in your family, with a small group, in a faith community, or in one of our retreats. Your personal stillness will continue to grow, but when joined with others, it becomes part of something larger—an ongoing rhythm of restoration for the body of Christ.