Growing up on a lake in Michigan, I laid in bed with screened open windows, transported by throbbing night sounds. Birds, crickets, frogs, cicadas, owls hooting, muskrats splashing into the water. Listening to nature's orchestra was spellbinding, relaxing and sensual.

And the benefits are many.

Learn to do a listening walk

"A sense of ecological literacy is as important to our existence as a species as -based literacy," said Mark Bailey, a professor in the college of education at Pacific University, near Portland, Oregon.

To head out on a listening walk, Hempton said to keep a few parameters in mind.

1. Look for places with as little human-made noise as possible, places you've already been, he said. "You will be that much more surprised by what you now notice for the first time," he said.

2. Try to avoid using a flashlight, he said, as it can distract , but keep one handy to navigate any treacherous terrain.

3. Then let your (or inner ) lead the way to see where the night sounds take you.

4. Find a place to sit in stillness at some point during the walk, Bailey advised. "If there's a glen, a cluster of trees, find a place to stop and lay on your back or sit quietly and absolutely still and listen," he said.

Then, let your ears do the work.

"If you don't develop that sense of literacy and attachment and connection to the Earth early on, it's really, really difficult later on," Bailey said. "It's 'What can I get out of the Earth, (and) how the Earth can serve my purpose?' instead of 'How can I connect with this place?"

[cnn.com]

p.s. I learned to sail in this 10-foot sailboat, one of three. As a teeb,sailed it by myself. Loved the quiet, the wind and water.