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MeditationListening to Others

Listening to Others

By being present and truly listening to what someone is saying, we can better connect with them. In this exercise, you’ll learn to realize when you’re distracted and gently bring your attention back to the person speaking.

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Hi. And welcome to Headspace on listening to others. So it's really tempting when we're listening to others to not be fully present, to be distracted. Whether it's distracted by what's going on around us in our environment or maybe what's going on inside our own mind as we think back to things that might've happened in the past or other things that might be happening in the future. Or we may already be thinking of how we're going to reply to the person that we're speaking to rather than simply being present, listening actually hearing what's being said, taking that in and therefore moving a little bit closer in our connection with that person. So if you think about it, the skill is really noticing when we're distracted. And in doing that, then being present for that person. So we're just gonna practice for a minute or two. This exercise of noting. So right now, just take one big deep breath. And as you breathe out, just closing the eyes, settling the body, settling the mind. Let's take a moment to be aware of the body against the surface beneath you. And then just beginning to notice the movement of breath. So, as you follow that movement of breath in the body, that rising and falling sensation, your mind will become distracted from time to time. Notice that. Note it. Oh yeah, thinking, just silently. Let it go and come back to the breath again. So whether our object of focus is on our breath, on right now, or whether it's on the person that we're listening to, it doesn't matter, it's the same thing. We gently rest our attention on the object of focus. We notice when we're distracted, we note it. Oh yeah, thinking, we let it go and bring our attention back to that object of focus. So just practicing this skill in your meditation, in your life, whenever you have the opportunity. And in doing so, being more present, more available better able to listen to others....

Details

TypeMeditation
Duration3-10 min

About your teachers

  • A former Buddhist monk, Andy has guided people in meditation and mindfulness for 20 years. In his mission to make these practices accessible to all, he co-created the Headspace app in 2010.

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  • Eve is a mindfulness teacher, overseeing Headspace’s meditation curriculum. She is passionate about sharing meditation to help others feel less stressed and experience more compassion in their lives.

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  • As a meditation teacher, Dora encourages others to live, breathe, and be with the fullness of their experiences. She loves meditation’s power to create community and bring clarity to people’s minds.

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  • Kessonga has been an acupuncturists, therapist, and meditation teacher, working to bring mindfulness to the diverse populations of the world.

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  • Rosie Acosta has studied yoga and mindfulness for more than 20 years and taught for over a decade. Rosie’s mission is to help others overcome adversity and experience radical love.

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