Today our focus range will be on what we can hear.
That may be physical sounds around us or internal sounds like thoughts in the form of speech as in mental dialogue or even songs that might play in your head.
Anything we see or feel will just allow to be in the background as we bring our attention back again and again to what we can hear.
We will note each sensation we hear,
Which means to clearly acknowledge it and then focus on it,
And label it as here.
The labeling comes after the acknowledgement and before the focusing.
So you'll notice a sound,
Acknowledge it,
Label it here,
And then listen intently to it.
If it disappears immediately,
No problem.
Move on to the next thing you hear.
We'll call this technique just here.
Let's begin.
Stretch up your spine,
Relax your shoulders,
Relax your jaw,
Allow your eyes to close if you wish,
Or keep them fully or partially open.
Bring your attention to the space where sounds arise.
When you detect a sound or an auditory thought,
Acknowledge that your attention is on it,
Label it as here in a calm neutral tone,
And then if the sound continues,
Focus intently on it,
Listening closely to pick up on all the details of it.
Does it come from a certain direction?
What's the volume level?
Does it stay steady or does it intensify or fade?
Hold each sound with an open awareness,
Neither pushing it away nor pulling it towards you.
If you notice multiple sounds at once,
Just pick one,
Letting the others be in the background of your awareness.
Even though you might hear yourself saying the label,
Don't label the label.
That's just a tool that we're using.
If you have a thought that is auditory,
Label it as here.
Focus on it as a sensory experience rather than thinking about the meaning of the thought.
Imagine it as someone speaking in a foreign language you don't understand.
You just listen to the sound it makes without making sense of it.
If you notice quiet around you or mental quiet in between the thoughts,
You can focus on that restful silence as well.
Soak into that and explore it.
You may even notice silence in one spatial location while there's sound in other locations.
See what that's like.
For example,
You may be hearing sound from the left side of your head,
But if you focus on what's to the right of you,
There's no sound coming from that direction.
So just explore your present experience and investigate it.
Do your best to fully focus on each sensation one at a time,
Letting everything else fade away.
Great work.
Now as the bell sounds,
Continue on your own or bring your session to a gentle close.
Take your time to transition from this meditation to the next part of your day and bring this more centered mind with you.
