LISTENING IN THE DISTANCE

I discovered listening into the distance first consciously when lying at night by a long winding country road where I could hear one car every 5 - 10 minutes and then follow it for miles and miles into the distance, it was wonderful, it felt like it opened the pores behind my ears and released all the stress of months and years of noisy city.

Bird song may seem the nicest to start with, but a blackbird close up seems to have an effect like classical music, quite relaxing, but not what i am trying to explain.

You dont need to wait for things which are nice to listen to, it works with passing cars, or even airplanes. It doesnt work at all with constant noises, radio or television, but even then, if they are in the distance, you can use them to release stress.

It does not work easily in rooms with closed windows - but in the country or even in a CITY AT NIGHT and EARLY MORNING ... listen all around you ... search for sounds happening a mile to the left, the distant road on your right - a plane above, a neighbour 3 houses away ... and then just remain open and ready for any new sound ... (for tinitus and headaches see *note) ...

I find this listening exercise is the EASIEST practical technique to quiet the everlasting chatter in our upper brain, ... i also quite sincerely believe it is the simplest and most direct way to experience a sense of peace of mind.

*note - when listening, if you have peeps or buzzes or even pains in your head try to listen to and beyond them ... i dont have tinitus or migrane, what i have is just a bit of local tension, however i find i can clear up these minor peeps and pains by listening to them and ALSO all around them .. i find they go quieter and then disappear, ... i think it has something to do with listening to the whole environment and the feeling that i listen with my whole head rather than just my ears.

We have to imagine the animal, and without hands to check where the ears are i believe the sensation is one - of listening through your entire top back and sides of your head.

One minute at a time

	Taming The Hedgehog