Welcome back to The Gist. This week we continue to look at the senses through the work of John Kabat-Zinn. Similar to the extraordinary gift of sight, John also describes hearing as having many layers. He examines the richness of our soundscape, all the many sounds that surround us every day.
He brings to life a fall morning where he is sitting and simply trying to hear the sound of the rain outside his house, on the stones, against the windows, the accompanying wind. He challenges us, as he does himself, to just be with the rain. How often do we take a few minutes be still and actually absorb the sounds that are around us. Unlike our eyes, we can't close our ears as easily so sounds always filter into our consciousness. The quality of attention we bring to listening is as important as sight. What would we lose by just taking a few moments each day to hear things differently. And what are we losing by not doing so.
In the soundscape, we can have a confluence of sometimes contradictory sounds. John talks of hearing birds and nature sounds outside his window one morning, and in parallel the sound of traffic, modern machinery and gadgets. How can we just absorb all these various sounds without judgement or labeling or bringing in the thinking mind? Can we just immerse ourselves in them rather than being separate from them. And can we pay particular attention to the silence between sounds, to relish the healing power of quiet. Silence, which we rarely get to experience in our world, is not just a lack of sound. It has its own aliveness that nourishes us deeply if we allow it to do so.
Outside of the general soundscape, two particular types of sound came to my mind while reading Kabat-Zinn's work - music and conversation. Music is often called the universal language as it goes beyond knowing any particular vocabulary. It appeals to us across cultures and races. Even without understanding a word of what is being said we can love a song for its musicality, its rhythm, for its ability to make us want to dance. And its profound ability to evoke an incredible range of emotions. In fact, some people when they are training in mindfulness, choose silence to avoid stirring up thoughts and feelings.
As for conversation, as humans we have developed the unique power of communicating in complex and nuanced ways - language is quite phenomenal if we stop to think about it. And we have a multiplicity of languages around the world, which moved from oral traditions to writing. Verbal communication makes up a vast majority of our day to day lives. We take in all kinds of words through television, videos, emails, tweets. But the more we take in, the more we need to question whether we are really paying attention to conversations and communication. Are we actually listening to what another person is trying to convey or are we letting our own thoughts get in the way? Are we being with other people in a way that conveys presence and genuine interest? Sitting in silence as they speak, noting what is being said as well as what is not, taking note of their body language or expressions.
So as we go through each day this week, let's see if we can focus on our sense of hearing. Perhaps we can take a moment when we wake up to notice that special silence while our homes are quiet or the sounds of nature around us. We can savour the sound of our own heartbeat or that of our partner. The voices of our children not just today but over time as they change from cooing babies, to babbling toddlers, to the mature voices of young men and women. Maybe we can choose to relish the gentle windchimes at our window or the kettle boiling for tea. And open our ears, minds and hearts to the words we take in.
Wishing you a wonderful week reflecting on your own unique soundscape and we will be back next week as we continue exploring our senses.
