Breathe Into Wholeness: Meditation Using Wind Chimes
By: Rachel Betzen
Pure and finely tuned sound is a powerful tool when combined with different meditative stress-relieving techniques to ease physical and emotional pressures on the mind and body. We often discover that when troubled with a particularly difficult problem, clearing the mind allows not only for the body to release where we hold this worry, but also frees us to new possibilities and solutions.
For those who are suffering from physical pains, utilizing relaxing and stress reducing techniques can soften our responses and break up larger areas of discomfort, helping us better take care of our ourselves. Simply allowing time to slow our bodies down and clear our minds, helps us all better handle what comes our way in life.
The use of hand tuned quality windchimes helps to focus awareness and makes practicing these strategies much easier, as the melodies intertwine and are pleasing to the ear. As you engage in meditation with windchimes use their gentle ringing as a reminder of your intentions, allowing deeper and further release into your practice.
The Meditation Techniques
Thoughts blown away...
Many times in a meditation practice we may have difficulty clearing away the mind and releasing our thoughts. This meditation technique is an excellent way to begin with the intentions of letting go of our thoughts, opening us to a deeper relaxation and meditative practice.
This technique can be practiced indoors with your windchime nearby, or outdoors on a light breezy day. When inside place a fan across the room to play the wind chimes, it may also be helpful to use a fan that oscillates and will thus play the windchimes at regular intervals.
Sitting comfortably, align your body so that the spine is straight, but you feel relaxed through the shoulders and back. Breathe slowly and deeply, relaxing across the forehead and above the bridge of the nose.
As you feel the breeze and hear the ring of the windchimes, imagine that same breeze gently blowing away your thoughts. With each toll of the chime, allow the winds to further dislodge thoughts, worries and stresses from your mind. Let go of your thoughts as if you were opening a fisted hand and allowing them to drift away on the soft winds.
As you slowly end this technique and welcome back your thoughts, take a moment to give thanks for the simple blessings that come forward with gentle meditative practice.
Soaring on winds....
This meditation technique is best practiced where you can sit comfortably and feel fully supported. The use of an oscillating fan indoors is recommended. Find a seated position where you feel supported with the spine straight and shoulders resting comfortably. Breathe fully and deeply. As the breezes bring forward the sound from the wind-chimes, quiet both mind and body.
With the gentle toll of the windchimes, feel your thoughts blown away as you first practiced with the above technique. Allow each part of the body to soften, beginning at the crown of the head. Focus your awareness across the head and remain in that area for a few moments.
Notice the shifts that take place as your body relaxes here. Breathe deeply, and on the exhale allow your awareness to drift downward to your neck as you observe the calming changes there. Lengthen the breath. Next in your chest. Then move to the arms, and slowly throughout the rest of the body.
As this process of relaxing takes place, visualize your body becoming lighter, the contours becoming softer. With each chime that sounds, deepen the breath. Picture the body slowly filling with pure light, beginning at the top of the head and moving through your entire body.
Deepen each breath further, slowing to only four of five breaths per minute. As thoughts or concerns return prematurely, let the music of each chime be a gentle reminder for the winds to lift them away from mind and body.
You feel a deep relaxation that extends throughout your entire body. Continue with this practice until your awareness has moved through the entire body, and your whole being has softened with pure light and sound. Visualize your body as pure and healthy, floating in space, more deeply releasing with each arising tone. Allow your awareness to float freely within the body for a few more moments.
As you complete this exercise and again turn attention to your thoughts, allow your heart to fill with gratitude for the peace of mind that comes with the gift of deep relaxation.
Easing the discomfort....
This final meditation technique similarly can be practiced indoors with your windchime, or outside when there is a light breeze. An oscillating fan is particularly helpful for this technique as it is easier to begin with chimes at regularly spaced intervals. At times we all experience discomfort or pain within the body, which may be worsened by the confines of everyday stresses. Those who have pain in the body on a regular basis may also practice working with those sensations through this technique.
Begin by finding a comfortable position, either seated or lying down with the body as supported as possible. Slowly relax each part of the body moving downwards from your head to your feet, deepening the breath. Do not hold your breath, but rather visualize it's movement as ocean waves continuously in slow motion.
Feel the rise and fall of the breath moving through your belly and chest. As your body becomes more relaxed, specific areas of discomfort may become more noticeable. Choosing one area at a time to work with helps us to break down large areas of pain into smaller pieces that are easier to manage.
Listen for the next toll of the wind chime. Then, place your consciousness in an area where there is discomfort, no matter whether great or small. Focus your awareness in this area and relax, breathing into the discomfort. Open your heart to the sensations that you are feeling in that area at that moment. With each sound of the tuned wind-chime, further pinpoint your awareness, while also relaxing, breathing, and opening to that specific area.
You may feel a change, an increase in intensity or a softening of the pain. Or you may feel no change at all. Stay with the feeling that arises for a few moments, opening and releasing to that area, and then allow your intention to shift to another area of discomfort and again practice the deepening and opening of the heart to this place in your body.
Use the sound of the windchimes to lengthen the breath, and as a reminder to open the heart and relax into each specific area. Continue moving through the areas of discomfort in the body with the tuned wind chimes as a guide for practice.
As you complete this meditation technique pause to give a moment of thanks for the guidance you are giving your body in managing discomfort.
Author Resource:-> Rachel Betzen operates the on-line wind chimes store and is committed to social and environmental business practices. Rachel is grateful for the change of pace that comes from managing chronic illness, along with it's challenges and many blessings. She enjoys gardening and the practice of writing in nature.
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