444 - Silence
Namaste, welcome back to 444. The last of 2025!
I’m Max. I’m a photographer and yoga teacher travelling South Asia. 444 is my monthly piece recapping recent events. It breaks down thoughts and conversations into something 4 me, 4, you, and 4 us.
These are monthly reminders for myself to follow my heart. I hope reading this connects you to yours.
At 4:44 on the fourth of the month this will find your inbox from wherever I am in the world. Sign-up to the email list here.
Today, I’m writing to you from Varanasi, India.
Walking these streets the saying ‘Varanasi reflects India, India reflects Varanasi’ speaks. A confronting display of what it is to be human. It’s a rough and difficult landscape that’s spiritually charged. The persistence of humans makes it beautiful.
Following the silence of the Himalayas, it’s showing me how to connect to peace in the chaos. Read more from the hike here.
4 us - pratyahara
‘When we reduce the outside noise we can allow ourselves to experience our inner noise.’ - Venerable Tenzin Thegchog
The facilitator’s words starting our ten-day ‘Introduction to Buddhism’ silent retreat. It follows similar aims to yoga of pratyahara - ‘the withdrawal of the senses’.
It’s a fortunate experience having ten days off to analyse the workings of the mind. Sharing silence with 93 others without navigating a social role. Learning how much we can see when we reduce ourselves. What reactions are controllable when given the time and space to understand them.
4 me - filling time
Renouncing to become a monk doesn’t interest me. It’s a balancing game attempting to integrate the retreat’s teachings.
A pendulum swinging between extremes. One direction disregards the revelations of the course. The other deprives myself of enjoyment.
A clear one for me is how I fill time with music. I love listening, but sometimes I get attached to it. I use music to stimulate or heighten activities disguising the task I’m in.
It feeds the part of me that multi-tasks. Rather than be with one thing I overload myself with everything at once.
4 you - questions from the mat
Questions from a pratyahara practice with the bridge yoga school:
‘What role does stillness and silence play in your life?’
‘What role could they play?’
I appreciate you taking the time to read the latest 444.
If you know someone that might like this, I’d be grateful if you forward this to a friend. They can subscribe here.
Before you go, check out my Guna Yala Postcards. All profits resource the Caledonia traditional dance school in the San Blas Islands. Support the beautiful ‘Danza Guna’ continue with the next generations.
Big love,
Max
