Mindful Listening

Mindful listening is a practice of tuning into the environment, yourself, and others without judgment while being aware of internal thoughts, emotions, and any reactions you may have. It’s also noticing the silence between the sound, feeling the sound in your body, and being aware of experiences your eyes may not see. The following experience took place during the summer at James Boyce Park while walking through a hardwood forest. After arriving at the park I walked down one of the trails a short distance, stopped, and started with seasonal breathing. I was happy to be there and looked forward to this time with myself. After a few cycles of breathing I shifted my focus to the sounds around me. I stood in one spot and allowed my head and body to follow the sounds around me. There were birds, cicadas, an airplane changing their speed as they approached the airport, the wind from the hurricane blowing across the trees like waves in an ocean. As I walked I could hear the grit between my shoes and the pathed path. Eventually the paved path became gravel. As I stepped from one surface to the other I listened to the sound change as the gravel shifted and adjusted under my feet. As I walked I listened to the sounds around me, some in response to my presence. There were squirrels playing in the trees and I could hear nuts falling and hitting leaves on its way down. At one point I stopped in the path and followed two birds responding to each other as if I was watching a tennis match. As joggers approached and passed I would follow the sounds of their feet hitting the ground, getting louder and fading away into the distance. I could hear the diving board of a nearby swim club as kids perfected their cannon ball. I could hear the cars crossing a nearby bridge. As I kept walking I noticed there were less birds in one area but I didn't have to walk far to hear them again. At the end of the practice I felt a heighten sense of awareness of what was around me even though I may not be able to see it.