Become a Better Listener

Let's start by finding a comfortable posture. This could be sitting, lying down or standing. Check in with your body and see what would feel best for it today. Once you have that posture, if it feels comfortable, you can close your eyes. And we'll take a deep breath together to further settle in.

Breathing in through the nose. And out through the mouth. Inviting the jaw to relax. And all the muscles in the face. Invite the shoulders to be at ease.

As well as the hands and the belly. As the body settles in, the breath can also settle into its natural rhythm. It's okay if the breath is longer and deeper, but you don't need to force it to be that way. Let's take a few moments to collect our attention on the breath. As the mind wanders, redirecting back to this breath and this moment.

So in this meditation, we're practicing, becoming a better listener and this doesn't just mean listening to other people, but also listening to ourselves. And what would it mean, what would it look like to really connect to ourselves and listen? Listening to understand, not to respond, not to fix, but just to hear. What is it like to be you and what is the soft yearning of your heart, of your mind? So over the next couple of minutes, I'm going to give you that space in silence to really listen. Whatever arises, the thoughts, emotions, sensations, listen to all of it, to understand, not to respond and see what that's like. You can focus on the breath or you could just sit and be.

Try it out. If the mind wanders off or gets caught in an emotion or a sensation, that's okay. Just watch all of it unfold and listen to what's unfolding, not so much with your ears, but with your heart, with your entire being. Receiving whatever is arising with a curious mind. So let's take one more deep breath together.

In through the nose. And slowly out through the mouth. You can start to reorient yourself back into this space. Wiggling the fingers and the toes. And inviting the eyes to open, when you feel ready.

So great job. In this meditation, we got to practice listening to understand, rather than listening to respond or to fix. This is something you can take into conversations and interactions with other people, and you can continue to cultivate it within yourself. Both seem to inform the other, so you can't go wrong. Good job today.

Thank you for your practice. Take care.