Redwing blackbird greets the day

Very early one summer morning I sat outside on my deck to meditate and the chorus of songs floating toward me from all directions dominated my thoughts. Rather than fight it or consider it a distraction, I surrendered to the music and let it lead me somewhere new. What follows is my best recreation of that experience. Enjoy!

MEDITATION EXERCISE

Go outdoors as far from cars and mechanical noises as possible. Early morning and evening are best. You will hear more birds in spring, but any time of year will work. Don’t try to identify or visualize which birds you hear, just concentrate on the sounds. Sit comfortably, close your eyes and do some centering, deep breaths.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Now focus your attention on bird songs, calls and chirps. Notice the wide array of sounds. Hear them singing from near and far. Peeps. Twitters. Caws. Allow each one to delight your soul. The rich and varied texture becomes more evident as you surrender to the music. Feel each chirp as a gentle touch on your arm.

Focus your mind on the space between the chirps. Listen acutely. Feel each musical note vibrate in your bones. Smile. Access the joy of being in the air. Soon you will feel enveloped into a web of sound. Let your spirit meld with the sound waves—you may even feel your soul rising up to join the birds in their flight.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

If you focus entirely on bird sounds, you will effectively eliminate all other thoughts. This is especially true if you are able to sit in a park, meadow or woods away from buildings. Over time, if you make this a regular practice, this can be an ecstatic experience, as well as sensitizing you to the avian delights in your life. If you want to do this in your backyard, but there aren’t enough birds around to create the full symphony, consider putting out bird feeders and a bird bath. As we pave over more and more land, our feathered friends increasingly need our help to survive.

Click on any of the following links for more information:

What Is Meditation?
How To Meditate in 5 Easy Steps
Setting the Mood to Meditate
Benefits of Meditation
Expanding Your Current Meditation Practice
Why I Meditate and How It Affects Me

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.