Hi,
I'm Carolyn Ann Budgel,
And welcome to this listening meditation.
Meditation is far less about finding some perfectly quiet oasis,
And much more about opening up to all the noises and all the chaos around you in this world.
When we listen,
We become more present to everything that's happening around us.
And we can go even deeper into listening to our own thoughts and to our own tendencies,
And perhaps what we'd like to change within.
Just begin by sitting comfortably or maybe lying down.
Start to notice your breath.
And you can arrive by opening up your ear canals and taking in everything that you hear around you right now.
Notice any noises that you hear in the space that you're in.
And listen to the sounds outside the space you're in.
Maybe out on the street or in the rooms beside you or downstairs or upstairs.
Just extend your awareness further out and listen to all the noises that arise and dissolve into space.
Get really sensitive to how all the noises that you hear are happening.
Get really sensitive to how all the noises that you hear affect your physical body.
All the responses that come up within.
Rather than labeling any of the noises that you hear as good or bad or feeling really attached to one of the sounds or disliking some of the noise,
Just listen and then move on.
Perhaps just thinking to yourself sound.
And to whatever else comes up next,
Sound.
There's so much to take in.
So much aliveness.
So much happening in every instant around us.
And so what a gift it is that you're giving yourself this time right now to just pause and really listen to everything happening around you.
Do your best to welcome in all the noises.
Messiness,
Chaos,
Loud noise,
Silence.
All of it is part of life.
So welcome all of it into this meditation,
Never pushing anything away.
Welcome all of it into this meditation,
Never pushing anything away.
And narrow the lens of your awareness and turn your focus more internal and really listen to your breath.
The sounds of your inhales and your exhales.
This faint,
Natural breath emanating from within you.
And even deeper still,
You might start to hear quite loudly some of the voices within you or some thoughts within noticing what stands out in the mind right now.
What thoughts do you give your focus to?
Never letting anything or any one sound or any one thought dominate,
But lightly listening to everything.
And so what a gift it is that you're giving yourself this time right now to just pause and really listen to everything.
As we near the end of this meditation,
I'd like to remind you that listening and meditation in general can often feel overwhelming when we realize just how much there is to be aware of.
Please offer yourself gentleness and patience.
And thinking just for today,
As I continue on with my day,
Where would I like to place my attention or my focus?
Is there perhaps a word that you'd like to return to just for today?
Or a new way of looking at noises in your life,
A new perspective that you have just for today?
Take a really deep breath in and a cleansing breath out.
Give thanks for this time that you've taken to pause and to be truly aware of everything without pushing anything away.
Namaste.
