Moments of Mindfulness and Psithurism

There is something about a very unusual word to make you curious. Psithurism. Does it have something to do with mindfulness? Take a guess as to its meaning.

“I loved the sound of wind through the trees. I laid back and closed my eyes, and I was comforted by the sound of a million tiny leaves dancing on a summer morning.” – Patrick Carman

Psithurism.  Definitely a word to trigger a bit of curiosity. It is a word that is very obscure and rarely used. Definition hint: it can go quite well with mindfulness.

Psithurism is "the sound of wind in the trees and rustling of leaves." It is an obsolete word. Its origin is Greek. And it is one of my most treasured sounds in the world. For me, it goes hand-in-hand with mindfulness, which essentially is to be fully present. Mindfulness is to be aware of our surroundings and thoughts and feelings on a moment-by-moment basis. It is a concept and practice that can serve us well in these very busy times.

Listening to psithurism - the sound of wind in the trees or rustling of leaves - is one of my favorite forms of mindfulness. Listening to the sounds of birds singing and bees buzzing and crickets chirping and even the hum of distant traffic are also my go-to's for practicing mindfulness and relaxing. I just don't know the intriguing words for those sounds. I have to admit "psithurism" is my fun word for the year.

Try this:  Go outside. Close your eyes. Bring your entire focus to only what you hear. Block every other distraction out of your mind. Listen. Pick out all the individual sounds that you hear. Completely focus on each sound. All you should be aware of are the sounds of your environment. Block out the noise of your racing thoughts or your to-do list or your problems or worries. Be present in this moment of just listening to the sounds that are surrounding you, listening to them one at a time, individually.

Whether you do this in the hush of a mountain forest, in your backyard, or in the middle of a city, it can completely bring your awareness to the present moment and block distractions from your mind.

And if psithurism is a part of your mindfulness, what a wonderful sound to enjoy and focus on!