Meditation can be approached many different ways, which is great for those who tend to get bored easily. Instead of doing the same thing everyday, we can change our approach depending on how we feel. After all, what’s important for our mental clarity and focus is that we do some form of meditation each day. It doesn’t matter what kind of meditation it is.
All meditation has one thing in common – an object on which to focus such as:
- Our breath
- An image
- Sounds
- A mantra
- An imagined scene or deity
- Our body moving – walking, yoga, dancing and so on
- The thoughts passing through our mind
- The present moment
The last two are not a good starting point for beginners as it’s easier to be distracted with them, but once we become familiar with meditation, these are very powerful methods of meditation. But no matter what kind of object you choose to focus on, after a while the sense of separation between the meditator and the object tends to dissolve leaving us simply resting in awareness of the present moment. And that is the jumping-off point for the next stage of meditation when that awareness looks at itself and discovers … well, I’m not going to tell you because it’s really best we discover that for ourselves.
Anyway, here is a guided listening meditation in a song, listen to it, do what the lyrics say and let me know how it went in the comments below.
I think these words from the song are worth a bit of contemplating:
Like sound, thoughts rise and fade away. Enter the silence they leave in their wake, and dwell in the pause between. Simply be.
Full lyrics below the video.
[Verse 1]
Listen
Listen now
Don’t label the sounds.
Simply listen
[Verse 2]
Just listen
And hear what is to be heard
without comment.
Simply listen
[Verse 3 ]
Rest your attention
lightly, spaciously
on the sounds.
Simply listen
[chorus]
When thoughts arise,
Let them go
And return to the sound.
Simply listen
[bridge]
Thoughts rise and fade away.
Enter the silence
They leave in their wake
Dwell in the pause between
[Verse 4]
Listen to everything
Everywhere around
No particular focus.
Simply listen.
[Verse 5]
Listen to everything
Without commentary.
Without judgement.
Just aware of the listening.
[chorus]
When thoughts arise,
Let them go
And return to the sound.
Simply listen
[Verse 6]
Awareness expands
To encompass
everything.
In all directions.
remain there,
in awareness
undistracted.
Simply be.
[Outro]
Like sound
thoughts rise and fade away.
Enter the silence
They leave in their wake
And dwell in the pause between
Simply be
