Sixty seconds

A small practice of attention. Sixty seconds, wherever you are, if it is safe to stop.

1. Stay as you are. Eyes open or closed.
2. Notice the nearest sound. Then one further away. Then the furthest you can find.
3. Look for the quietest sound in the room.
4. When the minute is over, write one word.

Where it comes from

Listening exercises of this kind belong to music education, sound art and acoustic ecology. R. Murray Schafer's Ear Cleaning (1967) and Pauline Oliveros's practice of Deep Listening are two well-known sources. This is a simplified, everyday version.

Where it stops

It is a minute of noticing, not a treatment and not a technique with promises. If anything feels uncomfortable, stop. Never while driving.