Finding Calm in Chaos

It is designed for the urban jungle, so you can use it while walking, commuting or in any high-stimulation setting. Rather than escaping the environment, you learn to meet it with calm. You keep your eyes open and use your senses to reach out into your surroundings.

The guide says we tend to close off our senses in busy places, which over time can lead to fatigue. Smell is described as our most primal sense, so you begin there. You breathe in, notice any aromas without judging them, and tell your nervous system it is safe and doesn't need to close off.

First you look around gently and note the size of the space, how far you can see and the colors. Then you stop looking and picture the whole space at once, including the people in it. The idea is that this tells your nervous system your perimeter is secure and accounted for, so it can relax.

For the hearing part, you can remove the earbud from your right ear so you can hear both the meditation and your surroundings. That lets you practise with real sounds, such as conversations, footsteps, doors and vehicles. You listen near, then further and further away.

You imagine each sound around you is an instrument contributing to a symphony. You first pick out individual instruments, then listen to the whole symphony at once, without judgment. It shifts you from reacting to noise to approaching it proactively and even enjoying it.

The ending gives a simple reminder: breathe, feel, look and listen. Notice your breath, your body's contact with the ground and gravity, the sights and the sounds. The aim is to keep this proactive awareness as you move through your day.