The Simple Magic Of Listening To A Bell

The instructions for this meditation are incredibly simple: When you hear the bell sound . . . listen to it. Just like the sounding of the temple bell at a Zen monastery, following the bell offers a gentle and consistent reminder of focus and presence. Like a benevolent guide or the training wheels on a bike, the bell's sound can help us to redirect our minds away from the typical (and perfectly human) inner chatter, towards something here and now.

Transcript

Hi, I'm Mike Tarbisano. The instructions for this meditation are intentionally very simple. I'm going to sound a meditation bell, And when you hear it, Listen to it. And that's all. Nothing more than that. Follow the sound for as long as you can. If your mind goes to a worry, Or a thought, Or a song from the 1980s, That's okay. That's just a brain doing what brains do. Simply go back to listening to it the next time you hear me strike it. I'll let you know when it's our last one. So find a comfortable position, Either seated or lying down. Take a nice deep breath to settle in. And let's get started. This will be the last one. May you be well.