Hello,
Welcome to today's meditation practice.
In meditation practices,
The focus is often on feelings in the body and thoughts in the mind,
But tuning into our other senses can facilitate a strong feeling of presence and awareness as well.
Just as you would observe your breath in a meditation practice,
You can use the sounds around you as the object of your awareness.
Sounds come and go throughout your day and can offer a consistent focal point for your mindful attention.
No matter where you live or what you do,
It's nearly impossible for you to remove all sound.
During this meditation,
I invite you to investigate the experience of hearing.
You can also use this practice in your day-to-day life,
Pausing to listen closely to the sounds around you at any point during your day.
Begin by finding a comfortable posture and just allowing your eyes to close.
Bring your awareness to your breath,
But instead of focusing on the physical feeling of the breath,
Listen to the sound of the body breathing.
Inhaling and exhaling through the nostrils,
Listen closely to any sounds coming from the breath.
Open up your awareness to other sounds that are present.
You may notice the sound of cars passing or noises within your home or sounds from nature.
Whatever is present,
Whatever your ears can hear,
Just tune into it.
The mind habitually recognizes what it hears.
When a car goes by,
You immediately know that it's a car.
When a dog barks,
You immediately know it's a dog bark.
Instead of identifying and defining what each sound is,
Try to focus on the actual experience of hearing.
Imagine your ears as microphones picking up the sound.
Recognize the rising and the passing of the noise,
How far away or close it appears,
And from what direction it is coming from.
As one sound grabs your awareness,
Tune into it for just a few moments.
Experience the sound fully,
Then let that sound go and open the mind,
Listen for other noises.
Hearing mindfully,
Continuing to listen,
And investigating sounds without forcing or straining.
Encourage your mind to collect itself fully onto the sound of the breath in the body,
Listening as your body breathes in and listening as your body breathes out.
Begin to open your eyes,
Look around the room,
Maybe shift your seat,
Maintain some awareness of the sounds around you,
And have a wonderful day.
Thank you.
