What does solitude mean to you? Albert Einstein once said: ‘I live in that solitude which is painful in youth, but delicious in the years of maturity.’

In his latest book Simon Parke, author of The Beautiful Life and One-Minute Mindfulness describes solitude as the active path to inner silence and takes us on an enthralling journey there. In a world of haste and distraction he commends the way of stillness and withdrawal where we can ‘recover the power of alone’.

‘It’s a journey to our selves and a place we can call our own,’ he says. ‘It’s here, away from the crowd that we reconnect with our inner knowing - so different to our outer knowing.’

A capacity for silence is what distinguishes us as humans, yet many of us fear to go there. But there is nothing to fear in solitude and everything to gain. If you want to be still but wonder how, this book is the perfect friend.   

Simon Parke was a priest in the Church of England for 20 years and is now a freelance writer. His most recent books are The One-Minute Mystic, Shelf Life, and The Enneagram: A Private Session with the World’s Greatest Psychologist. He is also the author of The Beautiful Life. and The One Minute Mystic. Simon runs, leads retreats, meets with people looking for a new way in their life, and follows the beautiful game.