Be Astonished

Be Astonished is a gentle invitation to rediscover a sense of wonder in the ordinary. Through spacious spoken reflection, subtle music and sounds from the natural world, this meditation invites you to slow down, soften your attention and become curious about what is already here — the small details, sensations and moments we can so easily overlook.
There is nothing particular you need to find or feel. Simply allow yourself a little space to notice, to wonder and perhaps to be astonished by something you might otherwise have passed by.

Transcript

Thank you for sharing this moment with me. For the next few minutes. There's nowhere we need to go. Perhaps we can simply be here and see what comes. Sometimes we go looking for wonder. For the extraordinary. For something beautiful enough. Or important enough to deserve our attention. And yet. . . I wonder if some of life's most astonishing moments arrive when we're not looking for them at all. The appearance of a rainbow. Light falling across a wall. The unexpected sound of rain. Perhaps astonishment doesn't need to be found. Perhaps it's more about becoming available. Open to whatever happens to be here. There's nothing you need to notice. Nothing you need to feel. We can simply leave the door open. Perhaps there's something around you now. The sound. A movement. A sensation. Something so ordinary that most days it might pass unnoticed. You don't have to name it. Or understand it. Perhaps you can simply allow it to come a little closer. And if nothing catches your attention. That's okay too. This isn't a contest. There is no right way to experience this moment. There's an image I've been carrying with me recently. The feeling of standing in the world with your arms open. Not reaching. Not searching. Simply Receptive. As though saying quietly, I am here. I am listening. Let's see what comes. Maybe it's birdsong. Maybe the sound of your own breathing. A breeze against your skin. The distant sounds of other lives being lived. Or perhaps nothing remarkable at all. And perhaps. . . That's the point. Because sometimes the ordinary. . . When we allow it close enough. Stops feeling quite so ordinary. There's nothing more I need to say for a while. Let's simply stay here and listen. Perhaps something came. Perhaps it didn't. Either way. Thank you for sharing this moment with me. And as you return to your day. Perhaps leave the door open. You never quite know what might come closer.