Of Sound Mind

We’ve been leaning heavily on Mindfulness of Sounds of late, finding it to be a “one stop shop” for meditation benefits.  "How so?”, you wonder?  So glad you asked :  )

For one, when we sit down and allow ourselves to tune in to the sounds around us, we connect with the present moment.  As we do that, the nervous system lets out a much needed sigh of relief, stops its pacing, hand-wringing, planning and horizon-scanning for potential problems.  It takes a load off for a bit.  

For two (can we say that?), a sense begins to awaken within us that we are part of something bigger.  Our usual sense of being an encapsulated self loosens, boundaries become porous and we begin to feel like one very small part of a boundless, living organism, connected somehow to the chirping birds, the beeping trash trucks, the giggling kids and even the neighbor’s television.  We are not alone.

For three (why not?), it dawns on us that every moment is unique;  that things are shifting and changing all the time - one sound followed by another, each with a beginning, a middle and an end - like everything in life.  Our thoughts, our emotions, our circumstances, our breaths:  each has a beginning, middle and end and each new moment will bring something new.  Allowing for the shifting of experience helps us get our sea legs so we can feel more stable on the ocean of life.  And if we're feeling "stuck" in a particular moment, the awareness of the flux of life can help us feel "unstuck".

Lastly, we come to understand how choice-ful we can be if we allow ourselves.  That yappy dog in the neighbor’s yard?  Previously a source of frustration and resentment, he might now be heard with a slight smile as we delight in the fact that he’s outside playing with children - the yapping is just his version of their giggling.  We begin to understand that how we relate to what arises in life is the name of the game, and that we have incredible agency.  

May all beings everywhere feel present, connected, steady in the face of change, and empowered to respond with wisdom,

Your family at CMP
 

Guided Meditations

Visit the CMP website www.CommunityMindfulnessProject.org for guided meditations.  You'll find them on the Guided Meditations page under the Resources tab.  
 

We Need Your Support - Especially Now

All of our conference calls are free and open to the public, but donations are essential to our sustainability.  During the hiatus we aren't receiving programming revenue from libraries and we are offering four times as many sessions as we would normally.  

CMP is a licensed charity in the state of CT as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Checks can be mailed to Community Mindfulness Project, P.O. Box 1713, New Canaan, CT 06840. Credit cards are accepted in the Giving section of the website (www.CommunityMindfulnessProject.org). For donations of wired funds or appreciated securities, please email welcome@communitymind.org. Thank you!