A great way to practise!

[Gareth]

I thought I'd share this way of practising that I have been doing recently. I have found it to really work well for me; it has been a really good way of remaining in the moment.

I have been doing a sound-based meditation (the kind that always feels most natural to me), where I sit outside if it is warm enough, or inside with the window wide open. I just sit there and listen to the ambient sounds around me as closely as possible: birds tweeting, man loading the truck up down the street etc. I listen as closely as possible, and when I hear a sound that I haven't heard before (make your own rules up on this), then I add one to the count. I see how many unique sounds that I get up to by the end of the meditation. I find this a really good way to keep my focus, always listening out for the next sound, thereby always being in the moment. If you are into sound-based meditation then give this one a go, I have found it to be a really good way of meditating. Sometimes the sounds cause other thoughts which is really good to watch too.

[BioSattva]

This sounds like a great way to focus, Gareth. Personally I use the breath as an anchor and explore the 'breathcape', soundscape, bodyscape, etc., while 'riding' the breath outwards from where the sensations of the breath are most tangible.

Is there any particular reason, do you think, why you find using sound as an anchor works better for you?

[Gareth]

As soon as I understood that I could meditate by listening to music, I started doing so because music has always been a massive part of my life. I tend to use ambient albums as this genre lends itself to the practice the best. I had already been meditating to the ambient sounds around me for a while.

I don't know why, but sound always feels like the strongest anchor for remaining present. I meditate in other ways too of course, but I always come back to sound......

[JonW]

I was meditating yesterday and the neighbour stuck some godawful album on. Quite possibly something like Best Power Ballads Of The Eighties. Something evil like that. Bonnie Tyler was one of the culprits. I persevered for a minute, then gave up and took my meditation to the beach where the squawking seagulls provided light relief, by comparison.

[FeeHutch]

you were mindful of intolerable sound assault.
Been debating getting an ambient CD to try out music meditation, any recommendations? Music I already know and love pulls me into past memories and emotions so want to try something new to my ears

[Gareth]

Can't go wrong with Ambient 1 by Brian Eno.

[FeeHutch]

I shall check that out

[Annette]

Been debating getting an ambient CD to try out music meditation, any recommendations? Music I already know and love pulls me into past memories and emotions so want to try something new to my ears

I haven't tried meditating to it, but Arvo Part's music can be very calming and has an interesting texture (I think). I recently bought a double CD of his music called Serenity. I hadn't thought of music meditation, but now that you mention it, I think I'll try it with this music.

I also have some of those CDs that have soundtracks of natural sounds, eg forest sounds, birdsong, water etc. I assume they'd be good for sound meditation?

[FeeHutch]

I've ordered the Brian Eno one so I'll let you know how I get on
I've used nature sounds in the past but sometimes find the imagery they invoke very distracting. It's been a while though so that is also an option I could explore again.

[JonW]

I'm with Annette on Arvo Part.
Also Gorecki's Third Symphony.
Almost anything by Harold Budd is highly recommended for relaxing listening.
If anyone would like to borrow my cat, Bilbo, they're more than welcome. He can usually be relied upon to provide a lively soundtrack whenever I take to the meditation stool.