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Ambient Soundbath Podcast – Bonus Episode – Calming the Inner Storm (Guided Soundbath Meditation®)
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This guided Soundbath Meditation, Calming the Inner Storm, was not originally created for the podcast. I created this as a free/pay what you want program for my Bandcamp fans, but I decided that fans of the podcast might like it, as well. If you want the music only, you can get that here, as this is based on an oldie, Ambient Soundbath Podcast #30
As always, enjoy and please share your thoughts.
What is Soundbath Meditation®?
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The Ambient Soundbath, Sound Meditation and what is Soundbath Meditation®?
The Ambient Soundbath has its roots in the practice of sound meditation. Sound meditation was something that I began exploring as an undergrad at Goddard College in Vermont some 25 years ago. With a combined goal of having a deeper music listening experience and pursuing a natural, heightened state of awareness, I blended my vipassana, or insight meditation, practice with a self-discovered deep listening and sonic awareness practice.
Where the Ambient Soundbath was created as a sonic break from the everyday routine, a space for thinking and being; the Soundbath Meditation® is meant to go deeper. Where the Ambient Soundbath can create a temporary state of well-being, Soundbath Meditation® aims to create a more permanent feeling of well-being and inner peace.
Soundbath Meditation®, on some level, is not different from mindfulness meditation, in this regard. With mindfulness meditation, the purpose is to become aware of what is currently happening around you, rather than focusing on something different than the present. With Soundbath Meditation®, you become aware of what is happening around you, sonically, and focus on that. In this way, Soundbath Meditation® is a hybrid of mindfulness meditation and vipassana (insight) meditation, where you are both aware of what is currently happening around you (mindfulness) and focused on what is happening as it happens (vipassana/ insight).
When the Ambient Soundbath Podcast first came online there was little reference to sound meditation that didn’t, eventually, lead back to the work of, Deep Listening pioneer and composer, Pauline Oliveros. However, since then, many new websites and articles have popped up talking about the benefits of sound meditation, sonic awareness, even “live” soundbaths. I believe that we’ve reached a new era for sound as a way to create sustainable heightened states of awareness and consciousness and I believe the time has come to begin to talk about and teach the benefits of Soundbath Meditation®. I will be talking about this more in the days, weeks and years to come.
If you’re interested in being a part of a virtual Soundbath Meditation®, please contact me here.
For now, please continue to enjoy the Ambient Soundbath Podcast and Soundbath Meditation® as a gateway to sustained inner peace.
Podcast Outage and Update
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Hey Friends and Soundbathers,
Tomorrow, March 1, we begin monthly episodes of the Ambient Soundbath Podcast…
And -dot-dot-dot… We almost didn’t make it.
Some of you noticed that our audio feeds were down for a couple days; thank you to those who reached out to me to let me know. Basically, we have/had a problem that anybody who ever starts a website wants, but doesn’t believe they’ll ever have: Too much traffic and too many users!
A dozen years ago when I started this thing and we started down this path together, I never imagined ‘too much traffic and/or too many users’ would become a thing, but in fact that has happened. It’s at this point that I have to thank everybody who’s donated over all these years. Basically, I squirreled away that money hoping that I’d never have to spend it on technical upgrades, but, well, I did… So, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you a thousand times to all who have donated to the podcast through the years; literally, at this point, we wouldn’t not be up and running right now if it wasn’t for your kind, unsolicited generosity. The entire Ambient Soundbath community is indebted to you.
This isn’t a message to ask you for money. I’ve always accepted donations (and I’m glad I did), but I’ve never solicited them. Nor, do I plan to now.
However, we, as a community of listeners, are likely going to be coming to a critical juncture that I’m not interested in visiting or contemplating: Either throttling usage, i.e. cutting listeners off or forcing a ‘premium’ membership. I’m heartily opposed to both of these things, but the answer is either going to have to come from those considerations or from the community.
I can say this: If everybody who regularly listened to this podcast donated a dollar per year, throttling or premium would never need to be considered or contemplated.
I’ve always tried to be transparent about the goings on at the Ambient Soundbath and as we enter this new chapter I’ll let you know what’s happening. In the future, if you notice our audio feeds down again, please let me know. Hopefully, we’ll be able to keep the ship afloat, but as this thing grows so, too, does everything needed to keep it going, freely for all.
Thank you, friends,
Matt
Episode Frequency Update and Thank You!
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Hello Friends and Sound bathers – First off thank you for the comments and emails regarding the frequency of new episodes. Far and away, monthly episodes were give a thumb’s up by you. So, with that said, I’ll be posting episodes monthly, on the first day of every month.
Next New Episode Coming on March 1st
I was touched by how many people responded and the personal asides that you shared. Feedback like that is what keeps this thing running. I’ve said this before: I create the Ambient Soundbath and well, all of my music, in a room far away from any listeners and any immediate feedback, so hearing from you and sharing your stories is the energy exchange I need to keep to keep this going.
Anyway, you’re here for good sounds, not to hear me talk.
Many thanks, my friends!
Matt
Listener Feedback Requested
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I’m looking for feedback from you, the listeners and ambient soundbathers…
A few years ago I did a survey around how often you’d like new episodes of the Ambient Soundbath podcast. At that time, it was an even split between bi-weekly and monthly with a few folks wanting weekly. I opted to do things bi-weekly and have for the last bit of time. However, I’m seeing that the listening and usage patterns around respective episodes seem to be more monthly.
So, here’s my question: Would you be for or against moving to new episodes monthly? Please answer in the comments below or via the contact form.
Thank you!
Matt