One of the most available ways to orient to the present moment in times of reactivity is to bring attention to sound,
Whether or not you are listening to a recording or have access to a bell.
In fact,
This practice can be particularly helpful in noisy environments or whenever you notice that your relationship to sound is creating stress,
Distraction,
Or irritation.
Each time you bring awareness and inquiry to sound and allow it to be what it is without trying to change it,
You are giving yourself an opportunity to rest your attention,
Release attachment to an outcome,
And you are practicing the attitudes of non-striving,
Kind curiosity,
And beginner's mind.
So let's begin by adopting a posture that supports paying attention and choosing to close the eyes or simply rest the gaze and bringing the awareness fully into the ears and allowing yourself to receive sounds.
You might notice sounds that are close or sounds that are far away,
Sounds that are inside the room and sounds that are outside the room.
Maybe even becoming aware of sounds from within the body,
Noticing the absence of sound or the spaces in between sounds,
Not having to go out and get sound,
Simply allowing yourself to receive,
Resting in the soundscape as sound arises.
You might notice thoughts arising or wanting or not wanting sounds or labeling sounds and as best you can,
Seeing if you can notice that this is where attention has gone and gently returning the awareness to the sensations of the ears,
Receiving sound.
And in just a moment,
You'll hear the sound of a bell and seeing if you can sustain attention with the sound of the bell all the way through its completion.
You might choose to raise a hand to mark when the sound of the bell stops for you and then continuing to sustain attention with sound even after the completion of the tone of the bell.
And now taking your time,
Opening the eyes if they've been closed,
Perhaps bringing some gentle movement back into the body and just noticing what is here now as you prepare to transition out of this practice.
What is it like to bring attention fully to one of the five senses even just for a few moments?
What did you notice?
And what do you notice now as you reflect on this moment of giving yourself your own attention?
Thank you for your practice and I invite you to bring this moment to moment awareness into the next moments of your day.
