Listening to rainfall outside the window
Staff Illustration/Andy Castillo
Have you ever just sat still and listened to the rainfall outside the window?
After a few minutes, thoughts tend to step aside and a calmer presence takes over. It’s as if the mind refocuses on a more natural frequency — that of the earth — attuning to its baseline rhythm.
With focused listening, it’s possible to distinguish individual raindrops. On their own, they’re insignificant — tiny pinpricks of sound. But together, they create a gorgeous soundscape.
I engaged in this practice the other day, listening attentively as drops gently pattered onto the canopy of trees surrounding the yard; they fell from the roof and splattered in tiny popping sounds onto the muddy ground below; they landed on the gutters with sharp pings.