Meditations
Meditations with forest sounds
6 meditations, 11–27 min each
A forest is full of small sounds: birds, leaves, sometimes water. Every meditation here has a forest under the voice, most often with birdsong.
Why birdsong
Many people hear birdsong as a sign that all is well. It’s a sound of things carrying on as normal, with nothing you need to do about it.
In one study, researchers asked 20 people which natural sounds helped them recover from stress and feel refreshed. Birdsong came up more than any other sound. But not every bird sound helped. A 2021 review of natural sounds and health found something similar. Bird sounds were linked most strongly with lower stress and less annoyance, though only two of its studies tested birds on their own. So the signs are good, and the research is still young.
The forest in these meditations
Simply Notice has a forest full of different birds. The One Who Notices has a quiet forest at night. What We See Together has an afternoon forest with birds far off. Quietly Ripe and Ready to Travel add a waterfall. Shoes On, Let’s Move has morning birdsong, and it’s meant to wake you up, not settle you.
Shoes On, Let's Move
For the minute before you exercise, made easier
To stay alert11 min · Jessi + Twins
Simply Notice
A first practice in noticing sounds, feelings and thoughts as they come and go
17 min · Lucas + Twins
Nothing matches all of those. Try clearing one.
Further reading
- Eleanor Ratcliffe and others, “Bird sounds and their contributions to perceived attention restoration and stress recovery” (Journal of Environmental Psychology, 2013).
- Rachel Buxton and others, “A synthesis of health benefits of natural sounds and their distribution in national parks” (PNAS, 2021).
Resources
- Meditation music
How to choose music for meditation: rain, ocean, sound baths, singing bowls, binaural beats and 432 Hz. What each is, and a meditation to try.