The Amazing Benefits of Nature Sounds
When you feel like you need to pause from life consider the benefits of connecting to nature sounds. Your brain associates calm sounds as non-threats. As a consequence, you will feel relaxed and more aware. You should listen to nature sounds to be mindful and to relax.
We respond to noises that are abrupt and disrupt our peaceful state of mind. When you surround yourself with them, you don’t notice how they are affecting you. For example, you constantly listen to your phone’s notifications, to TV news or radio, or street noise. All these noises keep you alert. You are probably not aware of the effect they have on you. However, your brain is responding to all of them by being alert. Zones in your brain activate constantly because they think they need to keep you safe.
That’s why it is important to be aware of what you are constantly listening to. Also, consider how these sounds may affect you. By all means, you should choose sounds that elevate your quality of life and not the contrary. Therefore, you should look for nature sounds because they may help with psychological distress.
Listen to nature sounds
When you listen to nature sounds try to close your eyes. Why can you make a better connection by only listening? Your ears work better during dangerous situations and they certainly work better in the dark than your eyes. For this reason, you should take advantage of your hearing sense, to connect to what is around you. That means, to concentrate on the experience without having visual distractions. As a consequence, the regions of your brain that were alert take a break.
Remember that you are looking for your inner peace and tranquility. Listen to nature sounds and connect through the earth, wind, and water (don’t play with fire).
Mother Nature
Earth Wind and Fire
And its glory
Share the feelin’
With your brother
Listen to nature sounds and appreciate its benefits
- Obtain perspective over your life.
While you listen to nature sounds, you become self-aware. You notice your presence both mentally and physically. - Live each moment for what it is.
Your consciousness sparks and you focus on what it’s real. When you listen to nature sounds, you are listening to reality. - Learn to listen to others and gain empathy.
You learn to listen and to notice your surroundings. For this reason, you are more present when you engage in a conversation and you start to appreciate people. - Improve your attention
When you connect to nature and focus on its sounds, you work on your concentration. Consequently, you start to develop your observational skills. - Develop gratitude
All the elements of nature cohabitate with you, even beyond that, nature is giving you all its resources. Be grateful for all of nature’s offerings without asking anything in return. You can start to give others as well and be grateful for all that you have.
If you want to read further about all the benefits you get when you listen to nature sounds head here.
Go out there and admire
Use your eyes to find a spot, and once you do it, close your eyes, and just listen. You can make a better connection just by listening to the place around you. Take your time for this exercise. Above all, enjoy the experience and your surroundings.
Find a comfortable spot and start by breathing to ground you in the present so you can start listening. Here is an article on how you can make the most out of both experiences; listening and breathing.
After you come to rest, begin to listen to everything around you. Consider the elements around you, and how nature is present in every one of them. Listen to nature sounds in earth, wind, and water.
Focus on what could be around you…
Earth
Get in contact with the surface that holds you, the one you are standing or sitting on. Analyze its texture and listen to the sounds it makes. You could think about three different kinds of surfaces to notice their different sounds. Most importantly, notice how they offer you support and also help you ground in the present.
Hard Surfaces
You can move around (to notice your impact and the sounds you make with nature) or you can sit down and listen to nature sounds to relax. Did you find hard surfaces on your way? For example, did you step on dry soil or stones? How did they sound? Feel the support of the earth by noticing the sounds you make when you are in contact with it.
Park in Colombia by Sepia Flora
Crunchy Surfaces
This is a wonderful sound to help you ground on the present. Think of dry leaves and how they sound when you step on them. Also, pieces of barks of trees. Admire beautiful sounds that emerge when soil is mixed with leaves that fall from trees or bushes.
Stepping on a crunchy surface by Sepia Flora
Soft Surfaces
Are there animals around you? Listen to the way they interact with the earth. Listen to their steps, they certainly sound different from yours. They could be stepping on sand, grass, soft surfaces. Moreover, they could be playing with leaves or scratching with the ground. Listen to what they do and pay attention to all the sounds they make with different soft surfaces (soil, grass, sand, etc).
Photo by Iswanto Arif on Unsplash
Wind
Listen closely to nature sounds and how they travel through the air. When you are admiring all its beauty you will notice sounds that you take for granted. The sound of the wind itself is pretty amazing. Also, by noticing every sound, you realize that wind touches and interacts with nature’s creations.
Trees and wind
Listen to how the leaves of the trees move because of the wind. That is to say, to the beautiful and calming sound that helps you be anchored in the present.
Trees of Colombia by Sepia Flora
Animals’ Sounds
Pay close attention to the sounds of nature and you can notice all the animals that are present. Not only the big ones but also insects. Certainly, you will notice that there are different kinds of birds. And, if you are in for a treat go to Colombia. It is the country with the most bird species on earth.
Birds singing by Sepia Flora
Just Wind
Listen to nature sounds, listen to wind itself. Think of all the benefits that wind provides. For instance, picture the wind blowing on you. Imagine it could blow away the heavy load that we sometimes carry over silly problems. Something is thrilling about the feeling of having your troubles and worries carried away. Picturing how some concerns solve is beneficial to have optimistic thoughts.
Do you use any metaphorical phenomenon to represent a good outcome?
Wax Palm in Colombia by Sepia Flora
Water
There are many benefits of inner silence. You can be mindful by noticing and connecting with your surroundings. Water is the best external natural sound to listen to because it is periodic and doesn’t have abrupt spikes. Remember that your brain responds to threatening sounds and water is quite the contrary. Look for water and savor its wonderful sound.
Still water
Big lakes or ponds don’t have abrupt changes in volume. Consequently, your brain will associate that with a calm state of mind. Think that water is washing away your sorrows. You can also swim and breathe, close your eyes, and relax. This will ease the tension in your muscles.
Still water in Scotland by Sepia Flora
Waves
Your brain likes periodic sounds because they are predictable. You can enjoy the sounds of waves of water for that reason. To enhance this experience, you can synchronize your breath to the waves you are listening to.
Photo by Boyd Christiansen on Unsplash.
Rain
Enjoy the calming, periodic, delicious sound of rain. Therefore, imagine that rain it is protecting you like a soothing blanket.
Frog under the rain by Sepia Flora
Going Further
If you enjoy listening to the sounds of nature, you can take one step further. That is to say, notice all the sounds around you. You can make associations between sounds to help ground you in the present. For instance, almost all sounds can be related to each other. For example, the sound of you typing on your computer can be related to the sound of the rain. It is not the same, but by noticing sounds you help your mind anchor in the present. As a result, you develop more self-awareness.
Let me propose an exercise that will boost your creativity. If you enjoy sound design and how sounds can have several meanings, you will love it.
You can record sounds or you can use the sounds around you. The goal of this exercise is to imagine something else besides the obvious sound. For example, how a flute can represent a bird. You can listen to this in the musical composition Peter and the Wolf, by Sergei Prokofiev.
Examples
The sound of a cigarette burning with the sound of the sand.
Many sound designers use this trick. Likewise, take a little bit of sand. Then, rub it between your fingers and you can mimic the sound of a cigarette burning.
The sound of you washing your teeth with the sound of waves.
When you wash your teeth pay attention to it. Pay attention to the sound and imagine a wave from the water. The sound of the foam can do the trick.
The sound of the air coming out of a hot water bottle with a duck quacking.
Have you listened to the air coming out of an empty hot water bottle? Rubber can mimic the sound of a duck.
Don’t think about only what nature sounds mean to you. Also, consider what impact sounds have on nature. For instance, consider the noise we make. How can I gain awareness of my impact on nature by analyzing the noises I make? How can I help nature by reducing my noise pollution? You can read further here.
Sounds are also a therapy that heals. Enjoy and listen not only to nature sounds but to everything around you. You will love the experience.
What do you enjoy listening to? Do you think that paying close attention to sounds is a terrific experience?
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