Mindfulness practice is often an exploration of the senses but hearing or sound practice is often overlooked. Usually when we hear a sound we allocate a meaning to it, often with an associated story based on our experiences of that sound. Thus if you have been in an accident with emergency vehicles attending every time you hear a siren your body may respond to it as a threat, and all the memories, thoughts, and associations from that time may come to the fore. You may repeatedly relive the event purely because the sound has activated the body memory.
In this practice we are experimenting with being with sound simply as sound—a note or notes strung together. When we get pulled away by an associated story, at the moment of noticing this, we let it go and bring our attention back to the sound.
Take your seat and allow the body to settle, perhaps connecting to the breath for few minutes to anchor yourself in the body.
Then, imagining your body as a receiver, opening up to sound. These may be far away sounds or internal sounds in the body… hearing… receiving… noticing the effects of different sounds on the body. How does the body react to sound? Just noticing without judgment.
We are not looking for sound–we are not actively “listening”. We are simply allowing ourselves to open and receive whatever sound might come into our vicinity, like a radar. Noticing it arising, noticing it passing. Noticing its tone, pitch, timbre. Becoming aware of pure sound.
Noticing the pauses between sounds. The sound of silence.