Hearing Meditation

Hearing Meditation

From a month long meditation course with Sharon Salzberg

Picture taken during road work outside Healing Winds last fall. We used this meditation in class as a way to work with the sounds outside the studio during yoga classes and meditation at that time. I use this practice at home, when traveling, during large social events when the combination of sounds borders on overwhelming, in nature to tune into the subtleties and deep silence. Anywhere and everywhere. It is a very portable practice and I teach it often in my classes. There have been many times and in different places where I found the noise to feel overwhelming. This practice has helped notice the space between the sounds, as well as, their natural ebb and flow. Normally, there is no heavy machinery outside during class but when there was, this practice helped hone in on the space between the beep beeps and accept the meditative drone. Any amount. While most of the world is at home, with houses and neighborhoods full, this practice may be a gem to keep in a personal tool box. The practice is outlined below, touching on the breath as we get to the hearing meditation itself.

"A classic foundational exercise in meditation is focusing on the feeling of the in-and-out breath.

The breath is chosen, they say, for many reasons.

For one thing, you don't have to believe anything in order to feel yourself breathe.

You don't have to call yourself a Buddhist or a Hindu or reject anything else.

If you are breathing, you can be meditating.

It's also said that the breath is very portable. (The same can be said of sound.)

This is a good meditation in and of itself. And it also serves as a good alternative to the breath. If for physical reasons like asthma, or some emotional reasons that affect your breathing, you find settleing your attention on your breath more unsettling than settling.

Take a comfortable seat.

Recognize that sound is continually coming and going outside of our control.

One of the ways this meditation is used is to show us that we can actually meet any experience with greater clarity, openness, spaciousness, and kindness, even as we like certain sounds and don't like others.

We don't have to chase after them to hold on or push away, fretfully trying to seize control over that which we will never have control over.

Some beautiful wonderful sounds arise, others are quiet unpleasant or jangly.

Unless you are responsible for responding to the sound, this is a time when you can actually practice simply being present.

Notice the sound for what it is, you don't have to elaborate with a story or opinion, simply hear.

Eyes can be open or closed (gaze resting - eye lids soft).

Hear the sounds that arise and pass away as though they are washing through you.

There's nothing you need to do about these sounds.

You don't need to respond.

You needn't try to stop them, whether it's the sound of my voice, or other sounds, some near, some far, some welcome, some not so welcome.

Maybe it's the sound of traffic or the wind rustling in the trees.

In either case, it's simply sound rising and passing away.

You can notice changes in intensity and volume.

As the sound washes through you, without interference, without judgement, you don't have to send your ears out to listen.

Relax deep inside.

Create a vast sense of space, in which sound is rising and falling, rising and falling.

If you find yourself getting tense or craving more of a sound, take a deep breath, simply relax.

The sound will pass away without regard to our clinging or condemning.

Simply notice that sound arises.

We have a certain response to it.

And there's a little space in between those two.

Stay open for the appearance for the next sound.

And when you feel ready, you can open your eyes and relax.

You can reflect on the difference you experienced between resisting a sound and simply hearing it.

Following out after a sound, and simply being with it.

See if you can take some of that understanding into your day.

We don't meditate to get better at meditating. We meditate to get better at life."

Sharon Salzberg