Meditation · Calm
Hearing Without Naming
Elena Marsh · 10 min
10:00
remaining
What to do, minute by minute
1. Settle in
0:00–2:00Sit or lie down somewhere you won't be disturbed. Let your shoulders drop, close your eyes or soften your gaze, and take three slow breaths.
2. Follow the breath
2:00–4:00Breathe in for a count of four, out for a count of six. Let the out-breath be longer than the in-breath — that's what calms the nervous system.
3. Scan and release
4:00–6:00Move your attention slowly from your jaw to your shoulders, hands, belly and legs. Wherever you find tension, breathe into it and let it go.
4. Rest in stillness
6:00–8:00Stop steering. Let thoughts come and go like passing traffic — when you notice you've wandered off, that noticing is the practice. Return to the breath.
5. Come back gently
8:00–10:00Deepen your breath, wiggle your fingers and toes, and open your eyes slowly. Carry a little of this quiet into whatever comes next.
Rest in sound before the mind labels it.
Let sound come to you rather than reaching for it. A car, a bird, a room settling. Try hearing each one for a moment before the word for it arrives. Underneath the naming there is only vibration and space. Rest there as long as you like.