The Art of Silence and Listening

Are you listening or just waiting to talk?

Below are three exercises to help cultivate the art of silence and listening. To listen requires being able to be silent. There is a silent channel in our mind. First we have to access it. Second we have to listen to the silence and be with it. The silence is always there. Our challenge is to train ourselves to pay attention to it.

EXERCISE ONE
Everyday be silent and practice listening within. Simply sit quietly, be with your breath, feel the sensations in your body and find your neutral channel. Gently and silently be with yourself. Start with 3 to 5 minutes and work up to what you are comfortable with.

EXERCISE TWO
During the day, practice listening to yourself before you interact with others. Listen inside to what you want to say before saying it. Do your best to get your own answers before seeking advice. Process your own thoughts and feelings before sharing them with others. Share only those thoughts and feelings that inform and inspire others. Do not dump your emotions on others as a way to avoid processing them yourself. Keep your own personal issues and processes to yourself for this exercise.

EXERCISE THREE
Once a week practice silence with a partner or with a group of friends. Observing silence, go for a walk together, be together at home, eat a meal together or partake in another activity. Agree on the process beforehand, so you can relax and enjoy the experience. Have a notepad handy in case the need to communicate arises.

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The above practice makes us aware of how much we turn our attention outward and look for cues outside ourselves. We realize how much talking is unnecessary and a waste of energy. We start to see how much we try to fill in "empty" spaces to feel comfortable or make the other person feel comfortable so we will feel comfortable.

The Silence Between the Notes
We find our intuition in the open spaces of our minds. I am always reminded that I have to listen to myself if I want to hear my intuition. It is not that my intuition is not working. It is dormant through inactivity or is buried by all my mental noise.

When we are not listening, trusting and following our intuition our feelings scream at us in other ways - accidents, stress, fear, and anger.

Categories: listening posted by Cyndy | link | | |
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