Stilte: The Dutch Art of Quietude by Mirjam Van Der Vegt

 

 

Is your life hectic? Do you long to slow down and be still? Some days we just have too much noise and anxiety in this day and age. Instead of focusing on all the hard things, get a copy of Stilte: The Dutch Art of Quietude by Marjam Van Der Vegt and learn to slow down.

Stilte is a little book measuring 6.25 inches square with a Delft-looking cover. Even though it is small, this book has a lot of great information and encouragement in it for living life that is both slower and more focused on the world that God made around us. The book is divided in to four parts: Silence as a Basis, Silence in Motion, Silence by Concentration and Contemplation, and Silence through a change of Scenery.Within these four sections there are forty "keys" to practice to learn to better be still and to grow as a person and as a Christian. Each key has an explanation for what it is and what to do to better learn the key. Some of them have some great practical exercises to help you learn and grow--such as breathing exercises  and an exercise where you "talk" to your body about how it feels and how you are treating it. 

I read Stilte through in one sitting for the purpose of this review. I look forward to going back and going through the book slowly, doing several of the activities and learning to be quiet the Dutch way. I do see that this book is written more from a European mindset and there are some references to monasteries, which I don't think many of us know much about as much in the United States. However, I found all of that quite interesting. There is a lot to think about throughout this small book. As a side note, my husband and his family are all Dutch, so I found this all quite interesting from a cultural point of view too. I would recommend Stilte to anyone who wants to learn, grow and slow down more.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions within this review are my own.