Good Noise

It's weird how the word noise carries a negative connotation. Sounds can be good, but noise is generally bad.
Night noises usually refer to the creepy, scary sounds of the night; where night sounds might be about the calming sounds of bugs, frogs, and other critters.

Last week I spent several nights sleeping on the deck futon.
This week the nights have been a little warm and I've been sleeping inside.
Sometimes (like last night) the night sounds can be incredibly loud. 
This morning the outside sounds are also quite loud. Along with the morning chatter from the birds, the bugs and frogs are still chirping and chattering.

I don't know what it is about the sounds of nature that are so calming -- really kind of healing. 
I am a believer that grounding --physical contact with the earth -- is beneficial to the body and spirit. Maybe there is also something like an auditory connection. Maybe nature has an auditory frequency that is also healing to the body and spirit. It is likely just easier to recognize it at night when there are fewer man-made sounds flooding the space around us. The natural sounds of the forests, the mountains, or the seas likely bring the same peace and healing. 

I know that this space that I have is quite a privilege. As the sun is beginning to climb a bit higher in the eastern sky, the bugs, frogs, and night critters are slowly becoming more quiet and giving way to the sounds of the day. Even though the cars and trucks on the nearby highway create a steady hum of low frequency traffic noise, the sounds of nature are easily separated and heard with the simplest concentration or meditation. 

It is Wednesday, so I'll offer this bit of wisdom:
Find a way to connect to the sounds of nature -- even if it means streaming the night sounds from your phone. Be aware of the life that lives around us that we don't see. I find a connection to our Creator in the sounds of nature. 
Maybe the auditory sensation of calming isn't about healing. Maybe it's about connecting with God and remembering that I am a part of the creation. Maybe it is a call to live in harmony with nature rather than trying to conquer or exploit it.

Enjoy the sounds of nature today.
It's time for me to tend to my flowers.

John