Lately, I'd been thinking about going on a silent retreat, though I'd never been on one. Hell, I wasn't even one people would call quiet. My brothers used to say when I was a toddler that I started talking before I even opened my eyes. So the idea of being silent, even for just a few days, was an odd choice for me.

The contrast trying to play the game of life, doing, achieving, and having success while knowing meanwhile love is the ultimate reality can be confusing, conflicting, and tying heart and mind into knots.

In a loud and distracting world, finding pockets of stillness can benefit your brain and body. Here are four science-backed reasons why.