The Art Of Listening Within & Without

Join Carolyn in simply listening - an informative practice that can help us to find more equanimity in our thoughts and our perspectives. In this meditation, you will practice welcoming in all the noises around you and all the potential distractions that life has to offer. Connect to how noise affects the nervous system and to how simple it is to find calm amidst all the chaos. Listen even more deeply within, to what thoughts arise and into what thoughts you would like to focus on - your deeper, grounding truths. Just for today.

Transcript

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.

Reviews

You mentioned doing some breath work in Victoria soon? Is that a class your followers can attend?

Very simple grounding exercise.
Be aware of everything without pushing anything away. Love it

Lovely meditation, brought me to a kinder awareness

A great lesson in listening. I’ve done this one in a quiet place as well as a very busy place and I find it very interesting how there’s always something to hear. Thanks Carolyn!

Thank you for bringing your authenticity to everything you share

Lovely. Your meditations are in my “return to again and again” playlist. Thank you for sharing your work and wisdom.

this was so impactful. helped me access a place of awareness much quicker than i usually can. brought me to tears but also a sense of peace. thank you, definitely
returning to this one

Beautiful…thank you 🙏🏻💞

I experience this meditation as leading to the coherent center of the purpose of meditation.

Thank you for such a warm and lovely way of guiding the practice - such a calming voice!

Thank you, this boiled up some lovely epiphanies for me 🥰

l lived it, you have lovely voice.

Just 4 today.... gotta have FAITH for what Life throws us! Thank you Carolyn for this meditation and the earlier one on Coping with Stress, that was included with a set of “Stressfit” meditations. So happy to have found your gifts! ❤️

Thank you for your meditation this morning.
Namaste

I appreciate a new practice to hear and embrace all the sounds.
Thanks!

Beautiful- soothing. Thanks Carolyn! I’m really getting so much out of your meditations. Do you have a course on insight timer?
Namaste 🙏🏽

Thank you for this 🙏

Rare are those, aware of how important is to ‘listen‘ many aspects of our life - known or unknown to other people. When actively ‘listening‘ we my find those unknown fields of human perception unknown to other people. This way we can find ourselves.

Inlakesh

Thank you for this new way of thinking about noise. I’d like a new perspective about my neighbor’s 3 barking dogs! 😩🙏

Thank you, feel calmer accepting noises