Sound Awareness Meditation

Sounds are always in our environment. Our brains are constantly processing them, even though we only notice 10% of them. In this meditation, as we bring our conscious awareness to everything we can hear, externally and internally, we discover a deeper level of awareness and presence.

Transcript

Today's meditation is going to be our sense of sound. You know, We pick up information about the world around us every single day through our five physical senses. So we're really used to using them, Obviously, However, We're not always paying close attention to them. A lot of the information we bring in is unconscious. We're going to consciously pay attention to sound today. And it's quite interesting when we practice listening, Because there's often a lot of stories around what we're hearing in our minds. So it's a challenging one. So just know that to start. But we're just going to give it a try with a very friendly, Playful attitude, Which is another important point whenever we sit to meditate. So let's get comfortable, Sit up nice and tall. Always close your eyes if that's available to you, Otherwise soften the gaze. Again, We'll begin with two cleansing, Clearing breaths. So through the nose, Breathe in. Let all the breath go. Allow yourself to soften, Settle and land in your seat. And one more like that, A smooth, Long inhalation. Release the breath and any tension. And sometimes just those two long breaths are enough to bring you into this present moment. But again, The mind has a difficult time with stillness and silence, And that's okay. Let's bring our awareness to what we're hearing. And just notice, Notice any sounds in the world around you. Maybe there's traffic or birdsong. What's the farthest away sound you can detect? Notice the different pitches, The highs and lows, The frequencies. And as you notice these sounds, See if you cannot try to determine what they are or create a story about them or a description of them, But simply listen just to observe the different pitches and cadences and frequencies and tones. And then begin to bring your awareness of these sounds in a little bit closer from far, Far away. Perhaps now to in your home or building or the room that you're sitting in, What are some of the closer sounds, If any, That you can pick up? The sound of my voice might be one. Is there an appliance nearby or the sound of electricity, Any wind at the windows? Is there a sound from your phone or computer, Whatever you're using? Is one ear picking up more sound than the other? Can you notice the direction of the sounds that you're hearing? And then see if there's any silence between the sounds. And sometimes silence is filled with tinier noises like creaks. Are there any sounds inside your own body? The sound of a swallow, The sound of the breath moving in and out of your body. And as you attune your awareness to all these different sounds, The cacophony of sounds around you and within you, Just notice the dance, The interplay. And when you're aware of one sound, Other sounds are going to fade off. So whatever we bring our awareness to expands in our awareness and other things fade off into the distance. It's that simple. Whenever you're ready, Reopen your eyes. Settle into presence. See you next time.