Inheritedlaughs's Dream Yoga Workbook

I will work my way through the lessons and post the results/experience here.

Tonight's goal: Basic skills lesson 1, version 1, level 1.

Quote:

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Version 1: Listening to a Noisy World.
Level 1) Sit in a some what quiet setting, but not a place free of sound. At first just get comfortable and quickly with no special effort determine if any sounds are already being consciously perceived. Sit and just notice which noises you where aware of before paying attention. Now, with your eyes closed, casually explore each noise starting with the most obvious ones. You may first have been aware of the sounds of children playing, and traffic from a near by street. Listen to any of the obvious ones for a moment. Try to visualize in a casual and light manner, what each sound is. Now, your only goal in level 1 is to move around your environment not physically, but with your sense of hearing. You should acknowledge the sounds that were already obvious, then move your awareness of sound around. Try to pick up on the sounds you had not been fully aware of. They will be sounds that are not extremely quiet, and will be easy enough to find. You are simply trying to become aware of the fact that while the sounds were there the whole time, you did not consciously perceive them until you focused.
In an average attempt at this meditation I can often identify about 8 sounds my brain was choosing to ignore. Make a list in your head that tells you which noises you had clearly been aware of and any new sounds that you begin to perceive while meditating. You will find that at most times the world is full of sound we are choosing not to hear.

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I will do this later this evening, and then repeat the exercise for a few days before moving on to level 2 of lesson 1, version 1.

Night One: Basic Skills Lesson 1, Version 1, Level 1

Sounds that were immediately obvious: my computer fans, my chair squeaking, clock ticking on foyer, phone buzzing, dog moving around.

Sounds that became perceptible with focus: fish tank filter in kitchen, my own breathing, faint ringing sound in ears, car driving down road (became an obvious sound as it drew closer), the sound made when I scratched an itch on my face, a crow cawing outside, house sparrows chirping, and a honking horn on another street.

I know from experience that my brain likes to tune out the sound of the ticking clock, even though it was at the forefront when I began tonight. The fish tank filter is difficult to hear even when I'm paying attention, and blends with the sounds of birds outside.

After doing this exercise for five minutes or so, I found myself continuing to pay attention to sounds and trying to identify them without really intending to.