Restful Listening

Protocol #5: Restful Listening – “Listening Oneself into Rest”
Developed in collaboration with CRITICAL MASS, this protocol was designed for facilitation during BLOOM Festival in the Resting Lab—a curated space for exploring different approaches to rest. It is one of several protocols created to invite festival participants into gentle, shared practices of slowing down.

Restful Listening invites participants to attune to their surroundings through sound, exploring how both real and imagined auditory experiences can guide the body and mind toward rest. Through open listening, paired whispering, and shared silence, the protocol weaves individual attention into collective stillness.

Transcript: Protocol #5 – Restful Listening

Objective:
To explore how sound – both real and imagined – can guide participants into a state of rest and shared listening.

Setup and Materials:

Outdoor location with natural and ambient sounds (e.g., Søndermarken (area of the BLOOM Festival).

Mats pre-placed in a large semicircle, arranged so participants can lie head-to-head.

No special tools required, only openness and attentive ears.

 

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Structure:

Introduction (2 min)

Pair participants (2 and 2).

Invite them to tune into the space: “Take a breath, find a comfortable posture for listening.”

 

Phase 1: Open Listening Session (5 min):

Participants either close their eyes or rest their gaze.

Guided invitation to listen to all surrounding sounds (birds, wind, city hum, people, etc.).

Let go of judgment and ideas of good/bad or noise/silence.

Tune into sounds that feel restful.

Focus can include both real and imagined sounds.

 

Phase 2: Whisper Listening in Pairs (25 min)

1. Round One – Inner Mapping (5 min)

Partners lie head-to-head.Each person recalls 2–3 restful sounds they’ve heard or imagined.

Sounds can be specific (e.g., “rustling leaves”) or abstract (e.g., “earth’s warmth”).

Prepare to describe or whisper them.

 

2 Round Two – Whisper Listening (15 min)

Take turns whispering restful listening instructions to your partner.
Examples: “Listen for the wind in the grass.” “Listen for the deep silence of tree roots.”

Partner listens with eyes closed and attention tuned to the suggested sound (real or imagined).

Switch roles back and forth.

Take your time – pace is slow and gentle.

 

Final Rest (5 min)

All participants rest in silence together.

Let go of the sounds, allowing them to carry and release you.

End with a gentle signal or verbal closing.

 

End of Protocol
Allow time to share experiences with each other and exist the exercise slowly.