What is ‘AAO’- Arrive at Origin?

There has been a continual increase in the number of people exploring various techniques for meditation and mindfulness to experience a peaceful state of mind throughout the world. However, these practices sound so complicated that most people believe them to be meant only for people to find an escape from reality. To make it more approachable for people from all walks of life, I use the term ‘AAO’, which stands for ‘Arrive at Origin’. It is a process that involves observing silence, and is an alternative to mindfulness techniques and meditation practices.

By observing silence, we embark on a journey to come back to ourselves and ‘arrive at our origin’ which is our real selves. It is a process that allows people to resolve the complexities of their life and achieve a peaceful state of mind by being with oneself by sitting in silence for a duration of time during the day.

I never call this process sitting in silence: I always call it a journey. Just like we make a plan for our journey when we are travelling somewhere, we need to plan the journey to arrive at ourselves. For this journey of observing silence, you must make a chart of when and how long you are going to observe silence. For example, you must mark from ‘Day 1’ to ‘Day 7’ to see how far you have travelled in this journey.

How Does ‘AAO’, the Process of Observing Silence, Assist Us in Achieving a Blissful State of Mind?

Nature has made everything in this world as a whole. Our body processes are likewise a whole which we should follow rather than making it follow us. When our stomach is upset, we leave it for some time; it resets and is ready to digest food again. Likewise, we need to provide respite to our minds for some time by observing silence so that it resets. Observing silence refreshes you as it frees your memory units, which can absorb more information. However, it is essential to note that the time to reset your mind through observing silence can be different for different people.

When you observe silence, you will realize that so many things in your mind need to be processed. For instance, you might start contemplating why a certain person said something to you or behaved in a particular manner. The simplicity of the process is that it allows people who encounter several rushing thoughts to process all the thoughts they have and let those thoughts settle down just like sand settles down.

When you sit in silence, you will notice that we have set ourselves at such a fast pace that it takes time for us to slow down. When we observe silence, we start coming back to ourselves, layer by layer. In the process, you will get the urge to stop to accomplish other tasks. Your body starts rushing. But you need to understand that you need to cross through these speed bumps to achieve the calmness you strive for.

Two Processes Happen When We Observing silence: Inertia of Motion and Inertia of Rest.

 These two processes happen when we sit and observe silence. The ones who try it give themselves time where there is no interchange of words. Initially, you will notice many thoughts coming to your mind because there is the inertia of motion. You must let them be in that motion till they come to rest by themselves and not interfere with the random thoughts you get. We must realize that every particle in this universe is in motion, and only when it has done its full circle, it will go to rest. Something in the inertia of motion continues to be in motion until it is stopped. Something that is the inertia of rest stays in rest until it is pushed to start.

Most people who observe silence initially have numerous thoughts that later subside. So, where do these thoughts go? These numerous thoughts get filed in our brains like we file documents in different folders. After these thoughts settle down, they allow you to come to the present time. In this present time, no thoughts circle around.

However, it has to be done daily to ensure that your presence in the present time increases. To help ourselves to be in the present moment, we cannot adopt a more straightforward process than observing silence. Although it is the lightest of the techniques, it seems the most difficult as it makes you feel restless about what you are doing.

What Happens During the Process?

When you ‘Observe Silence’ initially, it serves a therapeutic purpose, making you feel balanced. But then it starts becoming harder for you.  People often express that when they do it for 15 minutes, they feel excellent, but they start becoming uneasy after that. This point is like a speed breaker, which you have to jump. So, when it becomes more challenging for you to keep making an effort, you must not get up because you are experiencing energy which makes you uncomfortable. 

In the process, you might experience aches, pains or stiffness. You might also feel sleepy, and if you do so, you should not get up in between that sleep. Many people fall asleep and wake up completely fresh. Like I earlier said, it is a journey, and it is not like you’re sitting in silence; you’re moving. The movement is felt when you hit these barriers.

The process is so doable and straightforward that it allows you to build up from wherever you left before. For instance, if previously you did it for fifteen days and didn’t continue doing it for two years, you will find yourself at the same stage where you left yourself two years before.

Our thoughts are constantly in motion; sometimes, the motion is swift, and sometimes it is slow, but eventually, the thoughts settle down. We need to remember that we must give sufficient time to thoughts so that they settle down eventually. I reiterate that it takes different people a different amount of time to reset their minds through this process.