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Mindfulness

Bird Meditation: Pause. Breathe. Listen.

Bird meditation is one of the most grounding meditation practices for me. On most days, I wake to silence long before the sun rises and sit with the sound of my own breath coming and going, reflecting the changing nature of all things. In winter, the first sounds are those of the stop and go of the paper carrier’s car. Moments later, I hear the sound of cars passing by in the distance on a nearby busy street.

Listen—

Listen more carefully to what is around you

Right now.

–Hafiz

Soon the first birdsong will arrive, and I open the window in preparation. Birdsong brings me back home to presence like no other sound. The breath and sound are the anchors of my daily mindfulness practice. As my mind wanders, I bring it back again and again, back to the breath, or back to the sounds around me. Each return is an arrival back home to the body, back home to the present moment. Pause. Breathe. “Listen more carefully to what is around you. Right now.”

Bird meditation is a nature meditation practice that anyone can do. If you don’t have a backyard with birds, try going to a local park or wooded area in your neighborhood.

Jen Johnson is a licensed counselor and meditation teacher teaching mindfulness for stress reduction and resilience. Learn more about working with Jen.

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