In mindfulness practice,
The focus is often on the feelings in the body and thoughts in the mind.
However,
Tuning into your other senses can facilitate a strong feeling of presence and awareness.
You can use the sounds around you as the object of your awareness.
Sounds come and go throughout your day and offer a consistent focal point for your mindful attention.
No matter where you live or what you do,
It's nearly impossible to remove all sound.
During this meditation,
Investigate the experience of hearing.
You can also bring this practice into your daily life,
Pausing to listen closely to the sounds around you at any point during your day.
Let's begin by finding a comfortable position and allowing the eyes to softly close.
Bring your awareness to the breath,
But instead of focusing on the physical feeling of breathing,
Listen to the sound of the body breathing.
Inhaling and exhaling through the nostrils,
Listen closely to any noises coming from your breath.
Open up your awareness to the other sounds present.
You may notice sounds of cars passing,
Noises in your home,
Or sounds from nature.
Whatever it is,
Tune into it.
The mind typically recognizes what it hears.
When a car goes by,
You immediately know it is a car.
Instead of identifying and defining what each sound is,
Try to focus on the actual experience of hearing the sound.
Imagine your ears as microphones,
Just picking up sound.
Recognize the rising and passing of the noise,
How far away it appears,
And from what direction it's coming.
As one sound grabs your awareness,
Tune into it for just a few moments.
Recognize that sound fully.
Then open the mind and listen for other noises.
Breathing mindfully,
Continue listening,
Investigating,
And opening up.
Without forcing or straining,
Encourage the mind to collect itself fully,
Back to the sound of the breath in the body.
Opening the eyes and moving back into your life,
Maintain some awareness of the sounds around you.
Notice the act of hearing during your day and let it draw you back into present-time
