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Nutritional therapist Alia Almoayed is planning a 'day of silence' in a bid to help cope with the chaos currently afflicting the kingdom.
As thousands of pro and anti-government protestors' noisily march and chant across the kingdom, the Bahraini author and internet radio show host plans to do the exact opposite ... after being inspired by the work of another esteemed writer, Anne D. LeClaire.
Mother-of-three Alia, 34, from Hamala, said: "In the midst of all this chaos and political and emotional unrest, I'm hoping that this will help me become more grounded. They say silence also makes you a better listener.
"I have always fantasised about going on a silent retreat, but since that will not happen any time soon, I've decided to start with one day.
"I read the book Listening Below the Noise last year and thought about doing it but it was never 'convenient' to be silent - especially with my hectic life.
"This month, I decided to interview the author so I started re-reading the book. And I realised that there is no better time to be silent than during the most chaotic time in my life, especially with the emotional turmoil that all of Bahrain is going through.
"The protests on the streets have taken an emotional toll on everybody. We are not used to that in Bahrain. But I am optimistic about the outcome and I hope that the present situation doesn't last too long. Having said that, I had my fair share of worries and sleepless nights when this whole situation started."
LeClaire lectures on silence, on writing and on the creative process and also leads workshops and retreats on the value of silence and deep listening.
"The book has inspired me from the first chapter," said Alia. "I loved it all. It reminded me that when you're silent you learn a lot about yourself. You are better at putting things into perspective. Your creativity flows. You become a better listener. And, you start noticing the world around you and the sounds you wouldn't otherwise hear.
"I would imagine it's similar to fasting in a way. I would highly recommend the book to anyone."
But how can a busy businesswoman, wife and mother organise 24-hours of keeping mum? "I am planning to be gentle with myself because I know that being 'silent' for a whole day will not be easy," she explained. "At the moment, I am planning to refrain from speaking. I will, however, be writing in my journal and on my blog. I feel that writing for me is part of the cleansing process. I feel good when I write.
"I hope to achieve inner peace. There are a lot of conflicting emotions and thoughts in my head at the moment. I would like to clear that.
"I would also like to slow down the pace of my life at the moment. For many of us, being busy has become part of who we are, but we forgot that while we run we miss out on a lot of the pleasures of life. For example, I want to be around my kids and not tell them anything or ask them to do anything; I just want to be in their presence and appreciate their existence. I can't do that when I'm giving orders and checking homework.
"Actually, I had planned this interview with the author of the book long before the political situation started in Bahrain. And the interview approached, I thought 'how inconvenient it is to have to think about silence during turbulent times'.
"It only dawned on me a couple of days ago that silence might be the answer to my many prayers for peace and inner peace. It is the remedy I have been waiting for.
"Being silent during difficult times is probably the best thing one could do ... or so I'm about to find out ... we'll see.
"I'm not worried about the outcome of the present crisis, because I know that Bahrain will come out of this better and stronger. But while we're in it, I worry about the halt of normal life, the effect on businesses and the feeling of instability."
She is now busy preparing for the weekend challenge. "I'm not expecting it to be easy," said Alia. "But I'm hoping that I will learn a lot about myself and my family in the process. I have chosen Friday because I want to be at home - not at work, and I want to be surrounded by the people I love.
"I have already told my older kids about it - they're aged nine and seven - but I don't know how I will be able to explain it to my two-year-old, Tameem!"
It's not unknown for husbands to occasionally suffer the 'silent treatment' from their spouses but at least supportive Suhail, owner of the Dream Body Fitness Centre, will know he's done nothing wrong on Friday.
Many people have already shown an interest in joining Alia on her day of silence. Find out more on https://www.aliaalmoayedblog.com
Readers can listen in to Alia's live interview with LeClaire at 10pm on Monday, March 14 , or pick up the archived broadcast later by visiting https://www.aliaalmoayedradio.com
