Background Sounds from Nature

Wouldn’t it be wonderful to be able to practice meditation beside a rippling stream, or at a deserted beach, or high in the mountains? Unfortunately, such natural conditions are usually not available. But, not to despair. The author-produced audio files in this collection can provide a reasonable facsimile of such natural environments, and they are available to you at any time and place you desire.

Many meditators (though certainly not all) find that the soft sound and feeling of a natural setting can provide an agreeable background for a meditation session, particularly in the initial relaxing part of the session. If you would like to try it, you are invited to download any of these files. There is no fee, nor are there any conditions of use, at least, of course, so long as such downloads are for your own personal use, and not for commercial gain.

To PLAY the audio file, click the arrow button (or ”download”) .
(With some browsers you will need to first click within the box below the name.)

To SAVE the audio file to your computer, right-click (or control-click) “download” and choose “Save Link As” or “Save Target As.”


GENTLE BROOK[download] (21 min) – Recorded at a stream site in the Santa Cruz Mountains, California


STRONG BROOK[download] (23min) – Recorded at a stream site in the Santa Cruz Mountains, California


COBBLE SURF[download] (33min) – Recorded at a basalt cobble beach on the Oregon coast


WIND CHIMES[download] (16min) – Recorded at my home in the Santa Cruz Mountains, California


SUMMER CRICKETS[download] (17min) – Recorded at my home in the Santa Cruz Mountains, California