Even physically distanced, we can listen to music. Although music can spark many different emotions, we often just have it on in the background, not fully attending to or engaging with it. For this Mindfulness Monday, we invite you to bring yourself fully to a song or piece of music of your choice.

Pick a song or piece of music that you have listened to before…it does not have to be your favorite piece, though it can be if you want. Before starting the song, consider the following to help you be more fully engaged:

What are the different instruments that are playing
How does the music rise and fall throughout the song
What are the different tones in the singer's voice or of a particular instrument
What emotions come up for you as you listen
How does your breathing change while listening to the song
How does your body change as you listen…do you feel tense, relaxed, peaceful, etc.

Now, with these prompts in mind, turn on the song/music, close your eyes, and just let yourself be present…begin.

Once you have finished, take note of how you felt and write down your thoughts and feelings and experiences. You may even wish to try this practice with multiple songs and note how each song makes you feel…perhaps differently. You may even wish to listen to the same song again to see if you experience it differently. As you continue on with your day, try to return to awareness of the present moment, as you did while listening to the song.

Take care and be #PhysicallyDistantSociallyClose