Welcome: Why We Begin with 30 Seconds
In this course, you’ll find multiple ways to enter into silence: 30 seconds, 1, 2, 5, and 10 minutes. Each interval comes in three versions—one with me sitting with you, one with a simple timer, and one with a still illustration. You might notice a small glitch in this welcome video. This isn’t about perfection or polish. It’s about presence. Coming as you are….
Here’s my heartfelt request: please don’t skip the 30 seconds.
It might seem too small, too easy—like lifting a one-pound weight at the gym. But that’s the beauty of it. Thirty seconds is the foundation. It’s where we build capacity in the nervous system without pushing it beyond what feels safe. If silence has been hard for you—especially if it’s been unsafe in the past—30 seconds can be a gentle, significant starting place. And if you’ve practiced silence for years, returning to 30 seconds keeps the practice rooted in honesty and humility.
Silence isn’t about making your mind blank or your body empty of sensation. When we stop, the inner world rises—thoughts, feelings, body cues. The practice is not about controlling these, but meeting them: observe → become aware → discern. Presence begins in the body: the feel of a shirt against your skin, the warmth or coolness in the air, the weight of your body in the chair.
I remember recording one of these intervals in my car, looking out at a rain-washed bush. Some leaves were green, some red at the tips, each with a dewdrop hanging beneath. There was no big revelation—just the noticing. This is the fruit: attention that deepens into awareness, awareness that matures into discernment.
As you grow in this, presence will ripple outward—toward yourself, toward others (like the silent, joy-filled moment I once shared with my child across the kitchen table), toward God, and toward creation itself. Together in this course, we’ll explore how to carry that quiet into movement, into days that are noisy, and into moments when your nervous system needs to know it can still settle.
Why the 30 Seconds Matter
Foundation, not filler: Thirty seconds trains your nervous system to downshift without overwhelm.
For all levels: Gentle enough for beginners, grounding enough for seasoned practitioners.
Reps build capacity: A few short pauses a day are often more transformative than one long, strained attempt.
Permission to scale: If 30 seconds feels like too much, begin with 15. This is formation, not competition.
How to Practice
Orient: Notice three things you see, two you hear, one you feel. Let your body know, I am here; I am safe.
Sensation: Feel where your body meets the chair, floor, or ground. Notice textures, weight, temperature.
Breath: Follow your natural inhale and exhale without forcing change.
Prayer cue (optional): A simple phrase—“You are here,” “I’m here,” or words that fit your faith and language.
What to Expect (And It’s Okay)
Thoughts will wander (groceries, to-dos).
Emotions may rise (restlessness, calm, ache).
Your body will speak (warmth, tension, ease).
Notice without fixing. Return to breath, sensation, and presence.
Gentle Permissions
Shorten the interval if you need to.
Skip a day if you must; return when ready.
Practice 30 seconds several times in a day.
Imperfect moments still count—this is not performance; it’s presence.
The Invitation
Begin here. Begin small. Begin with 30 seconds.
Let observation grow into awareness. Let awareness deepen into discernment. And in this, learn what it is to be present—with yourself, with another, with God, and with the life you are already living.