Each summer we select audience favourites from The Gist archives to share with all of you. This year we are doing a throwback to our early days with a series on the senses and their impact on our collective well-being. Not just our five physical senses but also our awareness which allows us to develop better habits of mind, feel more compassion for others and practice grateful living. Given the degree of upheaval and hyper-partisanship around the world there is no better time to revisit how we can think about and respond more critically to everything going on within and around us. Whether you've been with us from the beginning or are new to The Gist, we hope you enjoy this summer selection.
This week we continue to look at the senses through the work of John Kabat-Zinn. Similar to the extraordinary gift of sight, John also describes hearing as having many layers. He examines the richness of our soundscape, all the many sounds that surround us every day.
He brings to life a fall morning where he is sitting and simply trying to hear the sound of the rain outside his house, on the stones, against the windows, the accompanying wind. He challenges us, as he does himself, to just be with the rain. How often do we take a few minutes be still and actually absorb the sounds that are around us. Unlike our eyes, we can't close our ears as easily so sounds always filter into our consciousness. The quality of attention we bring to listening is as important as sight. What would we lose by just taking a few moments each day to hear things differently. And what are we losing by not doing so. See full transcript here.
Photo Credit: Aboodi Vesakaran

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