Here we are at the beginning of 2021 and our year of seeing clearly. My mission is that these reflections will apply to everyone, not just those with extra time on their hands. Please let me know when I fall short. My situation is different from yours and many others. And I dare say that those going through the most difficult times are often the ones who see the most clearly. They have no choice but to be present and alert.
To me, seeing clearly means that body, mind, and heart are working together, in a way that’s grounded right where you are. For that reason, I’ll try to keep the reflections and practices as non-abstract as possible and do-able for anyone. Each one will stand alone. I recommend keeping a journal specifically for this project (could be just notes on your phone). You don’t have to be a writer, but it’s good practice to document what you’re observing and feeling.
Today’s topic is listening. Pretty general, yet I’ve come to believe that learning to listen well may be the most important ingredient to seeing clearly, which is why it comes first. Pause for a minute and note everything you hear.
PAUSE
I hear the hum of my space heater, the wind blowing, the quiet between the gusts, the window frame making a cracking sound from the wind, my daughter’s cough, and my breath going in and out. This tells me something about where I am, who I’m with, the environment around me, and even the time of year.
In his book, The Spell of the Sensuous, David Abram calls vision and hearing “the two distance senses of the human.” They enable us to make contact with things at a distance, with vision exploring the outer surface of things and hearing making contact with something inside. How interesting to differentiate these two senses in this way.
‘Hearing depends on the presence of sound waves, which travel more slowly than light waves. Sound waves are changes in pressure generated by vibrating molecules. This is why sounds are sometimes experienced as vibrations in the body. The three psychological features of sound are loudness, pitch (frequency of sound waves), and timbre (quality of sound).” (Senses Sparknotes)
Sound is invisible, yet a huge part of our everyday lives and it’s usually in the background, much of it unconscious. You can feel sound in your body as a vibration. That’s amazing. Listening deeply and well is an important skill that can be developed. Often, what we hear determines the actions we’ll take. By listening intently, we’re truly present and open to whatever is at hand and this can have a positive impact on our relationships with people and place. I imagine that people who work in health care or other crisis situations are very practiced in listening well.
As I was thinking about this topic, a phrase came to me. Listen to the tenor of the moment. A tenor voice is strong and clear as a bell. The tenor of a moment is the underlying thread or emotional undercurrent. Sometimes we won’t like what we hear but it’s important that we hear it anyways.
Practice: What is the soundscape of your life?
Can you allow your whole body to listen attentively? What do you notice that you wouldn’t have otherwise? Here are a few ideas for cultivating your listening skills this week. Spend a whole day or a part of each day over the next week doing one or more of the following.
Practice listening more than you speak. Pick a time where you speak only when necessary.
Notice when you can feel the vibrations in your body created by sounds. Hint: Turn the music up loud. Where do you feel it?
Focus on subtle sounds, normally missed. It may seem that you hear nothing at first but give it time. Your ears are not used to consciously hearing subtle sounds.
Notice when you judge a sound as pleasant or unpleasant. What happens if you just let it pass, as it will?
If you’re in a noisy environment, take pauses when you can and notice the space between sounds or look for a space of silence when you can take a break.
Take a walk and note mentally (or jot down) everything you hear. This is the soundtrack of your walk.
Write down phrases you hear people say throughout the day. Put them together and you’ll have a prose poem of your day.
Ask a friend or family member how they are, and truly listen to what they have to say. Pick up on words or body language or emotional context and let them know that you hear them.
Who listens to you? Or, who is the best listener you know? Thank them.
If you’re in a noisy household (with small children) or work in a noisy environment (a hospital), how does sound affect your actions? Can you find any spaces of quiet? When you pay attention to the soundscape of your life, how does this help you to see more clearly?
Resources
Listen to Sylvia Boorstein read Pablo Neruda’s poem Keeping Quiet.
Gordon Hempton interview at On Being.
Books mentioned in this project can be found here (paid link).
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P.S. This project is free and available for all. You can support the work by signing up and sharing on social media or telling your friends! You can also provide financial support by making a one-time or monthly payment. Either way is greatly appreciated. See the archive here. If you’ve already subscribed, thank you! If you’re on the free list, you can share photos and reflections on Instagram and add the hashtag #seeingclearly2021. Paid subscribers will have access to comments on the posts. Please share your experiences below.
Kristin wrote a beautiful piece about listening to pileated woodpeckers and the idea of micro movements in photography and life.
https://www.presenttobeauty.com/photo-blog/into-nourishment
Thanks for sharing your experiences, all. Interesting how both sound and smell and taste are associated with memory as well as the present. Those senses seem to affect us inside while vision and touch are intimate explorations of the outside of things. All of them affect our perceptions, even if unconsciously.