Creating a Meditation Garden with Wind Chimes

Wind Chimes have been around since the dawn of ancient civilization. The gentle tinkling, chiming, or gonging sound of wind chimes is produced as the gentle breeze passes through the wind chime. We hang them on porches, from tree limbs, next to windows inside the house, or wherever they will catch a breeze. The gentle sound doesn't seem to bother us when we sleep at night and, in fact, it seems to have a calming affect on just about everyone.

We love them and almost always appreciate a wind chime hanging in the back yard of our friends and neighbors. The sounds can range from small chimes with their higher-pitched tinkling to large chimes with their soft, low tones. While some chimes are made with glass,  Capiz, and wood, the most common are made with metal bars and tubes. The Chakra Stone Wind Chime in the image to the right is an example of a metal tube wind chime with a beautiful, light tone.

Listen to the sound of this beautiful chime - click the Play Button

The recording is emphasized to ensure you hear the notes of each tube. More typically the sound is subtle, gentle, random, and various wind directions will favor one note over another. The beauty of the Wind Chime is in this randomness. The chime is powered completely by the breeze, which becomes an analogy for meditation. There is so much in life we cannot control. But we do have the power of thought, and meditation helps us to understand and manage thought. Hearing the Wind Chime in the background helps us with the meditation practice.

Random chiming sounds can serve as a Mindfulness chime. Whenever a strong breeze activates the chime, our awareness is brought to the forefront and we are reminded that we are in meditation - our focus moves to the present moment.

Chimes give us a focus that allows us to more easily disregard distractions such as traffic, the neighbor doing yardwork, a particularly annoying bird, or any number of miscellaneous noises outside.

Meditating outdoors is a wonderful experience. The air has movement, texture, scents, and feel. We can relate it to our breath as it flows and ebbs to and from our meditation space. And, it helps us to connect with nature. In our awareness, we are present with birds and other animals. The presence of a breeze is heard in the rustling of leaves and, of course, in the sound of the Windchime.

I hope you will find that a wind chime can add to the peace and beauty of any outdoor space. It's a wonderful, simple invention to be enjoyed by all.

Thank you for reading,

Jay

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