Welcome to this meditation practice,
Mindfulness of sound.
This practice may be helpful for those who have difficulties using the breath as an anchor.
Sometimes the breath can be an uncomfortable choice,
Maybe for those with respiratory issues.
Or for those suffering from anxiety,
Or who have a tendency to have a hyper-focused awareness and sensations in the chest,
Like the rate of breathing or the beating of the heart.
In these cases,
Sound can be a very helpful mindfulness object in helping to stay more present.
In this practice,
There is no need to interpret the sound or identify the source of the sound.
We also don't need to search out sounds.
We're just looking for these sounds in the environment to organically come to us.
This might be understood as falling into receptivity as opposed to striving or seeking.
The intention is to become receptive to the sounds around us.
So I invite you now to gently close the eyes and bring awareness to the sensation of the body sitting here right now.
Being aware of the contact points,
Being aware of where your hands are resting,
And being aware of a sense of gravity holding you.
And just for a few moments,
We're going to bring attention to the breath.
Just noticing how the chest rises on the inhale and falls away on the exhale.
Observing the breath right here,
Knowing that no two breaths are the same.
And the breath before is already in the past and cannot be changed.
There's no need to control or manipulate the breath,
Allowing breath to breathe breath with its own natural rhythm.
And now gently shifting the anchor from the breath to the sounds all around you.
Noticing that we can only hear the sounds of the moment.
We don't hear the sounds of the past or of the future.
So what is being heard in this moment?
There's no need to identify the sound.
We merely notice the sensations and the quality of the sounds.
We can only hear the sounds of the past or of the future.
We can only hear the sounds of the past or of the future.
And if your mind has wandered,
Simply noticing the distraction,
As it wandered into planning,
Worrying,
Maybe thinking about the past,
Noticing what happens to your attention in these silent moments.
And with kindness,
Once again bringing your attention back to the sounds around you.
And now gently shifting the anchor from the breath to the sounds of the past or of the future.
There's no need to reach out and go looking for sounds.
Allowing yourself to be the receptor,
Sounds coming to you.
Maybe imagining placing the attention at the opening of the ears,
Allowing the sounds to enter.
And now gently shifting the anchor from the breath to the sounds of the past or of the future.
And each time the mind wanders,
Gently bringing the attention back to the sounds.
Remembering that the sounds around you are the sounds of this very moment.
And now gently shifting the anchor from the breath to the sounds of the past or of the future.
And as these sounds come to you,
Noticing if you have a sense of preference for one sound more than the other.
You may have a pleasant feeling with the sound of birdsong,
But an unpleasant feeling with traffic going by or people talking in the street.
Noticing that whether we receive the sound as pleasant or unpleasant,
It's only a wave of sound.
The liking and the disliking comes from our interpretation and judgement of the sounds.
In reality,
There is only the sound.
So seeing if you can let it be just as it is.
Maybe you notice the distance of sound.
Some may be close to you and some may be far away.
You may even notice the sounds within your own body.
Maybe you can notice sounds to the left of you or to the right of you.
Maybe there are sounds underneath you or maybe above you.
Just being aware of these sounds as anchors to this moment of your life.
Maybe you can notice sounds to the left of you or maybe above you.
And again if the mind wanders to simply labelling,
Ah,
Planning,
Whatever arises,
Labelling whatever the experience is in the moment,
And with kindness and non-judgment,
Returning the attention to the sounds.
What are the sounds of this moment?
And now shifting again,
Moving attention from the sounds back to the breath.
Breathing in and breathing out.
Breathing out.
When the mind wanders,
Gently bringing the attention back to the breath.
This breath right here.
And in your own time,
Gently opening the eyes.
And taking a moment to acknowledge how you feel and to take in the practice before moving on with the rest of the day's activities.
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