Sounds and Thoughts Meditation

This practice is derived from Professor Mark WIlliams' Finding Peace in a Frantic World program and helps us find another way to relate to our thoughts.

Transcript

Sounds and Thoughts Meditation In this practice we will be exploring both sounds and thoughts,

And it can be a very useful practice to help us find another way to relate to our thinking.

So let's begin.

Finding a sitting position where there is both a sense of balance and support.

Feeling into how the body is being supported in this moment.

Sensing into the sit bones underneath you.

Feeling the uplift through the spine,

And yet not sitting up too stiffly.

So we're finding that balance between being awake and alert,

And yet sitting with a sense of ease.

Allowing the shoulders to be soft,

Moving down.

The chest open.

Softening the jaw,

The eyes,

Even if they're closed.

If not,

Perhaps lowering the eyes with a soft gaze.

Now turning your attention to your breathing.

Noticing all the movements of this in-breath and this out-breath.

Where can you feel the touch of this breath as it moves in and out of the body from moment to moment.

Allowing the attention to settle with the movements of the breath.

Noticing all the subtle moments of breathing as it enters the body.

Noticing all the subtle movements as it leaves the body.

And trusting that the body knows how to breathe,

So there's nothing for us to do in this moment other than resting attention in the changing sensations that breathing makes.

Breathing for a few moments in silence,

And also knowing that whenever the mind wanders we can always come back to this breath in this very moment.

Our breath is always here,

Whether we are present for it or not.

And now shifting the focus of your attention,

Turning it outwards to the world of sounds.

So as with the breath,

There is no need to create the sounds,

The sounds are already here,

Appearing and disappearing of their own accord.

So we're simply opening to this soundscape,

Receiving all the different sounds that may arise from many different directions,

Whether they are close by,

More distant,

Whether they are in front of us,

Behind,

Above,

Below,

Opening to this whole space around you out of which the sounds emerge.

As best you can,

Being aware of sounds simply as sounds,

Raw sensations,

So seeing if it's possible to receive them in terms of their volume or pitch or rhythm.

And also not needing sounds to be a particular way.

Even as you open to sounds in this way,

You may notice the tendency we all have to label sounds,

Seeing if it's possible to open to your direct moment to moment experience of sounds rather than thinking about the sounds.

And as soon as you notice the minds wandered off elsewhere or perhaps wandered into thinking about sounds,

Coming back to your immediate and direct experience of sounds in terms of their qualities,

Their duration,

Soft sounds,

Loud sounds.

You may notice high sounds or low sounds.

Even with more constant sounds,

You may notice sounds within sounds.

Simply being present for all the different sounds appearing,

Disappearing.

And perhaps at times you notice yourself searching for sounds,

Seeing if it's possible simply to sit here hearing,

Not listening for anything,

Allowing sounds and the spaces between sounds to arrive at our ears whenever they do.

And at times we may notice how more obvious sounds can drown out more subtle ones,

But also noticing how silence can be part of the soundscape.

Noticing how at times the mind might be evaluating the sounds that are here,

How preferences may be arising for certain types of sounds,

Sounds from nature perhaps.

Watching what the mind does in relation to all the sounds appearing and disappearing.

Or how the mind may be wanting different sounds,

Whether they be softer sounds,

Louder sounds.

Can our awareness simply rest in this constantly changing soundscape without needing sounds to be a particular way or a particular type?

Can we maintain an evenness of attention to all of the sounds that are arising right now,

Whether we like them,

Dislike them,

Find them interesting or not?

Interestingly,

Many of the sounds are arising largely out of our control,

So the only thing we have any agency over is how do we meet the sounds in this moment,

As they arise.

So perhaps noticing how you're meeting whatever sounds are here right now.

Are you able to let them arrive,

Pass through?

Or do you get caught up in some commentary about the sounds at times?

Noticing this capacity we have for our attention simply to rest in the constantly changing soundscape,

Sounds appearing,

Disappearing,

Hanging around for a while.

You're now shifting your focus of attention away from sounds and turning it towards thinking.

All the thoughts that are here now.

As with sounds,

As with the breath,

It's not that we need to deliberately create thoughts,

They are already here,

Popping up of their own accord.

So paying attention to this process of thinking that we all get engaged in.

Feeling all the different types of thoughts coming and going.

And at times you may notice how some thoughts draw you in,

While others can pass through more lightly.

Noticing if it's possible to see your thoughts simply as events in the mind,

Appearing,

Disappearing.

Or perhaps watching your thoughts as you would watch clouds passing through the sky,

Watching them coming and going.

Or at times how they may be changing form.

Sometimes the thoughts,

As with clouds,

May be dark and stormy and take over your whole mind.

While at other times they could be lighter,

More nebulous,

Able to pass through more swiftly.

Watching your thoughts.

And yet no matter what type of thoughts are passing through,

Practising for our awareness to be steady and expansive,

Allowing all the different types of thoughts to move through just as the sky allows for all weather to pass through.

Some thoughts can be quite easy to see,

While others may slip through relatively unnoticed.

And yet we are practising allowing all of our thoughts to come,

To go,

And seeing if it's possible to be with our thoughts just as we were with sounds.

And as with many sounds,

Thoughts often arise unbidden.

We don't necessarily have any control over what thoughts arise,

But we do have a choice as to how to meet them.

So,

We are practising allowing all of our thoughts to move through just as we were with sounds.

That very moment we notice we're caught up actually gives us the space to step back from the content of the thoughts and watch them as mental phenomena simply moving through.

And now coming home to the breath,

Noticing how it feels to return to breathing and allowing your awareness to settle in the sensations of this breath and the spaces between breaths.

Reviews

Very nice. clear direction and soothing voice. will definitely revisit.

Exactly what I needed today

Great extension of Mark William's original. Very helpful in developing the notion that like sound, out thoughts can be observed as well. Will be returning to this one often! Thanks!

Much wisdom will help me rest in the moment visualising sounds and thoughts in the inner landscape of the mind as transient clouds passing through 🌈