Find your aural compass
A personal take on how the visceral act of soundwalking can be an important tool on the journey to more mindful living
As a city commuter, I always used to wear noise-cancelling headphones on my daily bus route. They became my tool for limiting surrounding noise and creating my own personal sonic bubble, one in which I could listen to mindfulness podcasts and pretend that the bus had become my personal spiritual oasis. However, in resorting to them, I also became aware of an unconscious shift in my perception of my aural environment and my place within it – I’d been turning to technology to seek mindfulness rather than looking for it within my actual setting.
While this was useful in moments where it felt impossible to quieten my mind, I realised that the act of being consciously aware of my environment could be much more moving than the technologically mediated experience. My mindfulness journey is one that I am continually working on, and active listening is one of the many tools that has helped me to explore this form of wellness.