Deep Ecology Practice: Listening

Sounds from far distances pass through us. Their vibration is temporarily within us. They become part of our awareness. We cannot grasp them; they pass like the breath. Yet they are a part of us, and noticing the sounds is a doorway to awareness of our interbeing.

I hear the bird’s song in my body and mind; it is a part of me. I do not need to own or control it, nor could I if I wished. It is simply there in the world as I am, and listening reminds me of our being here together.

Sounds can serve as the anchor of meditation rather than the breath. This is especially useful for people who find focussing upon their breath stressful. In general, focussed awareness of sound has a different feel and effect than focussed attention on breath. It may be experienced as more open, shifting quite easily into natural awareness practice.

Practice: Listening Meditation

If you pause in this moment simply to listen, what do you hear?

Perhaps you can hear noises from the room where you are, or nearby rooms. If it is quiet, you may hear the sound of your own breathing, a close noise. What is the furthest noise you hear?

From outside, perhaps there are noises from cars driving, or voices, birds, planes or the wind.

Listen to these sounds as they come and go. Listening, there is no need to think about the sounds, to judge them pleasant or unpleasant or weave stories about where they are coming from. Simply listen, experiencing them come and go.

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More deep ecology practices are listed at the end of this article. Follow me on Medium for updates.