Eating Your BreakFast in Silence

December 15, 2020

By Le Monastère des Augustines

At Le Vivoir, breakfast is taken in silence, a morning ritual in harmony with the site’s historic vocation. When you experience silence, your sensory system starts to relax. Your brain needs to recharge its batteries, and silence can be more conducive to this activity than sleep.

“Time and silence are the most luxurious things today.” – Tom Ford

Reduced stress and anxiety, emotional regulation, improved cognitive abilities, and more restful sleep are just some of the benefits of silence. It is also said to be favorable to thought and creativity. Silence helps you be more open to new perspectives, and is therefore the ideal opportunity to choose an intention to guide you throughout your day. It is a wonderful way of connecting with life.

The Augustinian Sisters devoted mealtimes to silence. This allowed them to be present with themselves and others, ponder, and experience a precious moment of inwardness. Silence during meals helped promote calm, rest, and concentration before diving back into caring for the sick.

The culture of silence has lived within our walls for over 375 years—a great reason to give our visitors the chance to carry on the tradition and experience this luxury during breakfast, helping them start the day feeling serene.