Learning to Listen, Listening to Learn

Freedom of expression is a birthright that many of us have been granted and regularly exercise. We are freer to speak our minds now more so than any other time in history. Protests are readily organized and petitions fill our inboxes. We have endless mediums to share our opinions; we can let others know what we are thinking at any given moment through social media status updates. Information is endless; we are eager to tell others what we know.Typically, speaking is valued more than listening. We all want to be heard, but sometimes we forget to ask questions. We avoid silence by filling the space between words with like and ummm... We don't simply pause and breathe between sentences. Then, we think about what we should have said or we are going to say next while the other person is speaking. We don't know how to listen for what isn't being said. Rather than seeing the person, the whole person, behind their words, their story, we react, we interrupt with advice, we agree or disagree, or vacantly smile and nod.Teachers and parents told us that listening is an important skill and we were frequently reminded to "Listen!" (to authority figures, that is). We were taught to tune out the intelligence of our inner voices and the wisdom of our surroundings and have since been bombarded with the media's mind- and soulless messages --- the only other option seeming to be to escape into internal dialogue.June is a time to practice listening.Ask a question, then listen to your intuition by noticing the images that come to mind later that day or night.  Listen, to your thoughts and ideas through journaling without judgement. Listen, to your heart speak through the emotions in your body. Listen, to your stomach in all its feedback, reactions and responses. Listen, to your surroundings by listening to the sounds around you without labelling them as pleasant or unpleasant.  

... Start withthe groundyou know,the pale groundbeneath your feet,your ownway of startingthe conversation.

Start with your ownquestion,give up on otherpeople's questions,don't let themsmother somethingsimple.

To findanother's voice,followyour own voice,wait untilthat voicebecomes a private earlisteningto another...

- From David Whyte's "Start Close In"

ARCHIVEJune 2015Hearing & Listening (with Ashton Thébault)Seeking Silence Meditation on Sound