Intentional Solitude/Silence: Purpose and Practice with Erik Stensland

Spending time alone and in silence isn’t just for monks, nuns, and other monastic types. Everyday people spend time in intentional silence, and even go on multi-day silent retreats, where they’re alone with their own thoughts. Why would anyone want to that? What do they gain from trying to be still? Are there more helpful or less helpful ways to spend time in silence?

We bring you a conversation about intentional solitude and silence with local photographer and author Erik Stensland. He’ll talk about his own solitude journey and practice, and share his thoughts on how all of us can begin to incorporate intentional solitude/silence into our own lives.

This program is part of an exploration of solitude, one of the themes in our One Book One Valley title, "The Stranger in the Woods: The Extraordinary Tale of the Last True Hermit" by Michael Finkel.

About Erik

“When I was five years old my dad told me that if I sprinkled salt on the tail of a bear that it would follow me home. As a result of his dubious advice, much of my early childhood was spent exploring the mountainous terrain around our Montana home with saltshaker in hand. During these years the wilderness found its way into some deep place within me and became a central part of my life. The solitude, the silence and the sense of connection with something much greater than myself has drawn me ever since.

After college I spent about a decade living in Europe's Balkan Peninsula with my wife Joanna. Years of high stress during this period led to severe burnout. In pursuit of restoration I jumped at an opportunity to move to the mountains of Colorado at the edge of Rocky Mountain National Park. There, on quiet trails, surrounded by beauty and solitude, my soul began to recover.

I decided to make a career of hiking and so became a professional nature photographer. As I hiked the many trails of the national park both day and night in pursuit of unique images, I came back to life and found myself overflowing with things I wanted to write about. This led me to become a writer and also a publisher. This time in the wild continues to impress on me that we all need more solitude, stillness, silence, and beauty in our lives.”

Erik’s photography has been featured in many publications and numerous galleries, and has been purchased for use in hotels, hospitals, and businesses across the country. Erik has two galleries, his primary one in downtown Estes Park, Colorado, and another in New Mexico where he shows his Desert Southwest work. He has also authored seven books, which he publishes through his own publishing company, Rocky Trail Press. His books have won many national awards including best travel book of the year, best nature and environment book of the year and best inspirational book of the year. You can learn more about Erik at erikstensland.com.