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Community -> Articles -> Listening ListeningLooking for answers? Seeking connection? Wanting release? So many of our deepest needs are based on the ability to hear and to understand; and while this may seem simple to do, most of us struggle with this basic skill. Read this month's article to see how our yoga practice can help us develop the ability to truly listen.
Of course, it is impossible to be aware of every sound we hear. Our brains have evolved to make unconscious judgments about the stimuli received from our senses to determine what is important and what is not. This ability enables us to focus and concentrate; yet this skill for most of us has been developed to such an extent that we are able to tune out most sounds without being truly aware of them. We become desensitized to the constant flow of sound and thought. We learn to be with more and more noise both externally and internally. We become accustomed to a high level of distraction and become unable to hear or understand clearly. We are wrapped up in the rush of sound and are pulled away from the quiet center of knowing. Listening is a fundamental part of communication and connection to one's self, one's environs and other beings. There are two components to listening, that of hearing and that of understanding. The difficulty is that as we have become accustomed to hearing without listening, we are often not able to truly listen when it is required as thoughts, sights and other sounds often distract us. And as we are unable to truly listen, we are not able to truly understand. We are not free to let go of our perspective to understand from where the other is speaking. Our perspective also distorts our perception of reality. We interpret our experiences through our biases and fail to comprehend other truths that may be present. Part of our yoga practice is to re-learn how to truly listen. By quieting our minds, and really listening to our breath, we start to become aware of how much is being said both by our bodies and our minds. The breath becomes a screen over which our thoughts pass, and we are able to observe what is being thought and where those thoughts come from without judgment. As we observe our thoughts, we are also able to observe our bodies and hear quiet messages that had previously gone unnoticed. We begin to re-evaluate what is important and to listen with new awareness and clarity. We become aware of what we need as we listen to what our bodies tell us. Suddenly, it becomes easy to choose that which promotes wellness and happiness--breathing, quietness, eating and resting well, openness, compassion and love. No longer do these actions arise out of discipline or training, they are simply a following of what that inner knowing suggests to do; and as we follow what that inner voice suggests, we are able to hear more keenly, both internally and externally. We are able to listen better and be more open, more accepting and compassionate and grounded. We are no longer looking for answers or seeking release. We wait and listen and hear. As you practice, both on and off the yoga mat, listen. Listen to the breath, flowing in and out. Let it quiet you; let it cleanse you. As you move throughout your day, try and come back to taking a moment to really listen--to be open and to connect with every sound around you. You will begin to hear things you've never heard before, answers you have been seeking. Let go of judgments, quiet the mind, and listen. Become more quiet to hear more clearly. Heather Antonissen, November 2001 Write to Heather at heather@yogaisyouth.com Subscribe to our regular email newsletter to receive notice of new article updates. |