Attuned Listening

There’s always sounds going on, even when we think it’s really quiet. This practice helps us focus on what’s going on, right here, right now, even when our mind wanders off and we get distracted.

When to use it

It can be helpful for when there’s lots going on around us. Listening to sounds can remind us that we can’t control everything because sounds come and go as they please! Plus listening to sounds can be really soothing and a great way to practice some self- care.

How to practice

Take some time to pause, to take a few breaths and to really tune into the sounds all around you. No need to make any extra effort to tune in, just let sounds arrive, appear and disappear. Relax, listen, let the sounds come to you!

This super easy practice is all about letting go and doing approximately nothing apart from listening. Just listening can be really soothing - remind yourself that the gentle pitter-patter of rain can be lovely to hear, the sound of birds singing can remind us of the gentleness of nature, the sounds of the leaves blowing in the trees can remind us that we can’t control nature or the weather, these things just happen!

You might notice your mind wandering off. This happens to us all. If it happens just bring your focus back and you may find it helpful to start labelling the sounds, how many can you hear? What sounds are they? Do they stay awhile or have they already disappeared?

And just like that you’ve made it to the end of this course! Thank you and we hope these practices that we’ve developed as little challenges originally for the Active Schools Aberdeenshire South collaboration we had going on for a few weeks. To find out more about them you can visit their Facebook page here.