Sound and thought meditation.
Find a comfortable seated position with your back upright and self-supporting,
Yet make sure it's relaxed.
If you find this position uncomfortable,
Feel free to use a cushion or two to aid your comfort.
Settle into the position and relax.
Take a few nice,
Long,
Deep breaths and settle into this space here and now.
And as you sit here,
Start to bring your attention to the sounds around you and to your sense of hearing.
Focus your mind on the noises that you can hear,
Whether they're nearby or in the distance.
Imagine opening yourself up to all and any sounds as they arise.
From near or far,
Sounds from in front of you,
To the sides,
Sounds from behind you,
Or from above or below.
Open up to the sounds that are soft and to sounds that are loud.
Notice the tendency to add a label to a sound as it comes to you.
Observe your needs to judge whether a sound is appealing,
Whether you like it or not.
Observe how easily sounds can take you down a path of creating your own story.
And if you notice yourself following a particular path,
Realise that you have noticed.
And gently and kindly come back to the sounds themselves.
Hearing and experiencing the sounds just as they are.
As though you had never heard them before.
What would the sounds be like if this was your very first time experiencing them?
Growing a sense of wonder for this ability to hear so much.
Noticing the small,
Tiny sounds that we so often take for granted.
The sounds that often go unnoticed,
Sinking into the background of our lives.
See if it is possible to really hear the raw sensations of sounds.
Allow them into the foreground of your mind and the foreground of your experience right now.
Become aware of rhythm,
Aware of pitch,
Aware of volume,
Aware of vibration.
And observe the sounds that may occur within the sounds.
Notice that some sounds are more attention-grabbing,
While others remain less prominent.
Focus in to see if you can hear the ones that are smaller.
Allow them their own space in your experience of hearing.
Observing the pause,
The space between the sounds.
Being aware of the space out of which the sounds arise and the space into which the sounds end or perhaps blend.
And when you are ready,
Let go of the sounds,
Letting them fade into the background.
And bring your awareness now,
Right now,
To your thoughts.
Perhaps there are thoughts about what you're doing now or what you're going to be doing.
Perhaps there are thoughts about your past,
Maybe worries or anxieties about your future.
Maybe there are sad or happy or neutral thoughts.
Maybe there's anger.
See if it is possible to observe them all as they pass through your mind,
As they come and as they stay and as you let them go.
Watch how you can let go of your thoughts without being drawn into the thoughts.
As you bring your awareness to your thoughts,
There's no need to try to control your thinking.
Just let the thoughts come and go,
Just as you did with the sounds.
As you notice a thought arise in the mind,
Seeing it coming and going,
Like clouds passing across the sky,
Or like when you stand at the side of the road and watch the traffic go by.
You can stay on the pavement and watch,
You do not have to follow the journey of the vehicles going by.
You can be right here,
Right now,
Watching the thoughts as they come and go from your awareness.
Whatever thoughts there are,
No matter how compelling or how small,
See if it's possible to see the thoughts as events that arise in the mind,
Events that stay around a while and then gently drift away.
Becoming aware of any emotions that come up as the thoughts come and go.
Seeing if it is possible to be open to it all,
To all of the emotions,
No matter what they are,
No matter the type of emotion.
You may find that your mind gets involved in your thinking,
No longer observing your thoughts and feelings,
But lost inside them and being involved in the story of the thought.
When this happens,
Acknowledge that it has and congratulate yourself on waking up,
And then commit to starting again,
Renewing your intention to observe these mind events as they come and as they go,
Letting them dissolve.
And for the last few moments of this sitting meditation,
Coming back to focus on your breathing,
Notice the breath as it comes in and as it goes out of your body.
And when you are ready,
Bring your attention back to the room around you,
Noticing once again the sounds,
Noticing the floor beneath you,
The sensations of the chair,
The touch of your clothing.
Begin to move your fingers and your toes and stretch in any way that you wish to,
Any way that feels right.
And when you are ready,
In your own time,
Open your eyes.
