There are three pillars that connect us to the here and now; Breath, Sensation and Sound.
These three are happening virtually constantly, yet our attention flits about on the waves of memories and plans, ideas and dreams. We have all been jolted out of our busy trains of thought by a loud sound and brought back to the present moment.
One way of looking at Yoga is the process of bringing that which is unaware to our awareness, from unconscious to consciousness. We may bring our attention to the breath and even if briefly, steady our awareness on the breath just as it is, coming and going and resting in the present moment. In Asana, we may be able to bring awareness to a postural habit on or off the mat; a first step in living with ease.
Sounds are a bit different as they are happening all around us, not in our bodies. They teach us the difference between hearing – a completely involuntary process, and listening – a conscious effort to attend to sound. We can listen to our breath, or the soft sounds of Om (AUM) as we chant. We can open our listening to the farthest audible sound and we can listen for the quietest utterance in our range.
When I walk in nature, I listen for birdsong, bird chatter and their calls. It is always a surprise to me when a walking friend doesn’t hear them. And how quickly we can all learn to focus our listening to the subtle sounds of nature. It feels a bit like meditation to me. I “open” my ears to whatever arises. I can’t predict what song will come or how long it will remain. I don’t know if it will be a long hawkish cry high up in the sky, a rattle deep in the grove of redwoods or a gentle chip, cheep-ing close by under the bushes. If my mind wanders off, I may miss out. The practice of listening – to the world of nature outside of us and to our inner world – is a magnificent path that leads to an open heart and a calm, grateful mind.
I know this is not really Meditation; what I do know is that Rumi is right:
“The quieter you become, the more you are able to hear.”
