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Surround Sound Discussion
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this is another test
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This is the one
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maybe this is the one
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this test should work
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I’ve always been sensitive to harsh noises, especially human machine type noises. The quietness of nature is very, very soothing to me. I watch nature relaxation videos or listen to nature recordings regularly as well. Unlike with our eyes, there is no way to close your ears or look away from unpleasant sounds. I decided to take a short night snowshoe in the newly fallen snow on the woods road near our house, something that I hadn’t done for a number of years. I stopped after about a quarter of mile and leaned against a rock and listened. Unfortunately I heard a few vehicle noises in the distance off an on but it was fairly quiet over all. I could hear a faint whispering pine noise from primarily in front and in back of me.
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I really enjoy the surround sound activity and do it regularly on walks in the woods now.
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The first time I practiced the Surround Sound activity, I found it to be an experience that was both very grounding and promoted a quiet mind while also being very engaging and active. It felt like a true “Flow” experience, similar to what I feel when I am snowboarding or biking, though without the adrenaline that accompanies those activities. I really appreciate the idea of “listening with anticipation” and found it amazing how many sounds I found when listening with that intention. Often, a common experience in life is one of passive acceptance of sounds, sights, smells, and less about seeking them out. I found this to be a valuable distinction and will continue using the Surround Sound activity as much as I can, whether in a natural environment or in the city where I live.
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I truly enjoyed this exercise this morning and was surprised how specific I could hear directionally. I was in my back yard with a park in the near distant left and could hear a woodpecker, the marsh sounds of dried grass moving and also the traffic of the busy road in the distance. To the right I heard the wind blowing and more birds, in front a few more woodpeckers, very loudly and opened my eyes to watch them for a while. I could here the quiet of my home behind me and the sound of air movement across the ice on the lake still further behind my house, below I heard a tinny pop of snow thawing, above I heard soooo many birds flying and calling. I tuned into my internal self and heard my own heart beat. When I tuned into the sphere it became so loud and busy- an airplane took off from the not to distant airport and I could hear the bustling of cars and beeping of someone going to open their doors and head out into the day. I had a sense of physical release of tension in connecting directionally and truly enjoyed the experience.
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I actually practiced listening to my surroundings right in my living room and although I was not outside, it was still calming to pause and take several minutes to close my eyes and just be aware of the sounds around me. I first focused on distance, which allowed me to hear traffic several blocks away and dogs barking in our neighborhood. I was surprised at what I was keenly aware of by focusing on my sense of hearing right in my living room!
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I tried “surround sound” first inside on my couch and then another day outside on my porch. I felt as if arms where coming out of my ears and reaching first to the bird song, then to lawn mowers, to the highway and then to the inaudible. That listening or reaching with my ears gave me a pleasurable sensation of focus and a way to become present by listening past what could be heard. I also felt like I was out of body in a way as I listened for what was behind me and underneath me I began to visualize as well as listen.
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This was a great exercise to begin the class. It reminded me so much of zazen meditation and helped pull me into a mindful state, concentrating not only on the surround sounds, but to my inner breathing as well. It is a very peaceful state. It has always amazed me the way silence can speak volumes. Engaging in this practice at different times of the day was also quite helpful; often brining me back to a mindful state that is sometimes challenging during the hustle and bustle of daily life.
I recently took a class called Can You Escape the Matrix? The course was dedicated to learning about technology overuse and dependency, and how returning to nature helps us restore, as well as provide multiple physiological benefits. Since then, I have dedicated myself to advocating for digital detachment periods and reconnection to nature to restore personal wellbeing. This first step into nature-connectedness is profound, and continually reminds me why I have begun this mission.
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I tried this exercise while on a backpacking trip. I noticed that I felt less involved in being “me” during it, and I felt my awareness shift from my thoughts to the outer world. I also found that after the exercise i felt much more calm, and I felt a strong gratitude for the land that I was on.
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I did the surround sound outside on a snowy wintery day and it was wonderful to tune into the sounds. I like the progression of listening to sounds in a certain direction – and then doing the 3 D sounds! It really helped me to think of a mental map of the sounds. I felt this slowed me down.
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This was an lovely way to tune into hearing and listening as an enhanced sense. I loved the focus on keeping my eyes closed at the beginning.
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Such a powerful exercise! I realize how often I do this without realizing or being intentional with it. Each and every exploration of the woods I take I find myself doing this, especially as my mind tends to wander…I always come back to sounds to bring me deeper into present moment awareness.
