Learning to Listen

When we train the mind, we're learning to listen. Not only to our own thoughts and feelings, but also to those around us so that they too can feel heard and understood. So when we sit to meditate, we're not listening to the mind to find a solution, we're simply getting comfortable with witnessing the mind as it is, seeing thoughts and feelings arise as they do. In the same way, when we're listening to another person, hopefully we're not getting too distracted, hopefully we're not pushing our own opinions onto that person. Instead, we're learning to step back and to allow that person the space they need to feel heard and understood. And when we train both of these things in parallel, internally and externally, then we start to get comfortable with this idea of simply listening, free from expectation. So just taking a moment to get comfortable, whether you're sat on the chair, on the floor, wherever you are, you're gonna begin with the eyes open, nice soft focus, and a big deep breath. Breathing in through the nose, and out through the mouth. And as you breathe out, just gently closing the eyes, and just feeling the weight of the body press down. So noticing the different points of contact, the arms, hands, resting on the legs, perhaps the legs and the feet, resting on the floor. Just feeling the weight of the body. And at the same time, noticing the space around you, noticing any sounds, not getting lost in the sounds, but just noticing the sounds and allowing the sounds to come and go. And then bringing the attention back to the body, just starting to notice the very subtle movement of breath, so a rising and falling sensation. Noticing where in the body you feel that movement, and just resting the attention there. And then just letting go of that focus, just bringing the attention back once again, the feeling of contact and weight in the body. Starting to notice the space around you again, any sounds, any smells. And then when you feel ready, just gently, opening the eyes again....