Sometimes we hear,
But are we truly listening?
Welcome to this mindfulness practice to learn to listen to the whispers of your breath and to understand its dialogue with you.
If we cannot feel,
Then we can barely hear.
If we cannot hear,
Then we cannot be present.
And it is when we are present and tapping into the senses that our thoughts begin to diminish and we feel calm and rested.
We can then make clear and succinct decisions,
Be disciplined in reaching our innermost desires,
And not be destined to fall back on unhelpful and detrimental habits.
As the saying goes,
If nothing is going right,
Then turn left.
It is our thoughts that can drive us to the brink and our body journeys along with it.
Much pain in the body is caused from emotion rather than any physical illness or ailment.
We manifest pain just as we manifest calm.
When we manifest calm,
We create.
The more we create,
The more we create.
Whether it be a painting,
Writings,
A new look,
A new recipe,
We manifest what we need.
In my yoga classes,
I teach with little visual demonstration,
But with a great amount of auditory guidance.
At first,
Students look around and are nervous that they don't get it.
But within a short time,
They learn to be patient with themselves.
They learn to listen to my voice,
Their bodies,
Their hearts and minds.
They learn to enter their inner stillness and realize very quickly the rewards of being silent.
They learn to hear again.
According to Julian Treasure,
Author of Sound Business,
We are meant to spend roughly 60% of our communication time listening.
But as he states,
We are not very good at it.
Listening is our access to understanding,
He says.
Conscious listening always creates understanding.
But our world has become scary because no one is listening to one another.
And what is his first lesson to listen better?
Silence,
He says,
Just a few minutes a day.
How yogic.
And so,
Finding a quiet place.
Perhaps you'd like to lie down,
Wrap yourself up in a light blanket for warmth and ease.
An eye pillow may be appropriate if you have one.
Separate your feet about hip-width distance apart,
Your arms are beside you and your palms are up and open.
Slide your shoulders down and away from your ears to feel softness in your upper back.
Close your eyes.
The top lids do the closing.
Gently.
Can you sense the eyelashes softly casting a shadow beneath the eyes?
Perhaps fluttering slightly.
Let your body surrender to the tender earth.
Hear my voice.
Listen to my voice intensely.
You are simply here to feel and to listen.
Allow my voice to soften your whole being.
What can you hear?
As you focus upon listening intently,
You have given your mind something to do.
Thoughts will dissipate and you will hear more clearly and then listen more closely.
Become aware of the sounds that surround you at this moment.
These sounds come from the world as it breathes.
We live in a soundscape at all times,
Even if it is the sound of silence or the sound of your own breath.
Sounds will come to you from all different directions,
From far afield and from close by.
For a little while,
Become aware of the most distant sounds that you can hear.
These sounds may be ever so subtle,
Almost indiscernible.
No need to attach to them.
You don't need to identify them or identify with them.
Just hear them.
Moving through like a train passing by.
From here to there in a matter of seconds.
Leaving behind their echoes.
Let your sense of hearing operate like a radar beam,
Searching out distant sounds.
Allow your mind and ears to follow these sounds like a puppy playfully chasing a ball.
Perhaps for just a little while.
Move from sound to sound.
You don't need to seek the sounds that will come to you.
Some sounds will be urban.
Some sounds will be of nature.
Some sounds will be far away.
Some sounds will be next to you.
You are in the present as you pursue the sounds around you.
What is the further sound you can hear?
Are there many?
Are they coming towards you or are they moving away from you?
Are they returning?
Or are they leaving permanently?
Are they outside your room?
Or are they outside your building?
Or are they outside your street?
Are the sounds on land or in the air?
Or from the sky?
Gradually bring your attention to closer sound,
To the sounds close to your being.
What is the louder sound you can hear at this very moment?
What is the quietest sound in the room?
Can you hear the sound of your own breath?
What is it whispering to you?
The breath will heal you.
Allow it to rest your body.
Is it short and anxious and telling you to slow down,
To draw in calm,
To be present,
To let go of distraction,
Or is the breath whispering to you that all is okay at this very moment?
Whenever you think things are falling apart,
Just breathe.
Just breathe.
Just breathe.
Hear the breath.
Listen closely.
Let it go slowly.
It's like the sound of the sea,
Gentle waves rolling into shore,
Gentle waves receding back out into an infinite ocean.
The natural breath,
The deep,
Natural,
Spontaneous breath.
Keep listening to me and know that you are breathing.
It's the breathing that will tell you how you are feeling.
Listen to the breath and obey its teachings.
Listen to what is behind its words.
The breath gives you lessons each day.
When you listen closely,
You can understand.
When you understand,
You can make a change.
Perhaps it may be saying,
Slow down,
Slow down,
Slow down.
It's like the sound of the sea,
Gentle waves rolling into shore,
Gentle waves receding back out into an infinite ocean.
Inhale deeply.
Exhale slowly.
Feel its flow.
Hear its song.
Immerse yourself in the breath.
Be the breath.
I shall remain silent again for a little while as you hear your own breath,
As you listen to its lessons.
I have often recalled the quote attributed to Alfred Brandell,
That the word listen contains the same letters as the word silent.
Coincidence?
I doubt it.
Rest for a little while to the sound of your own breath.
I shall remain silent again for a little while as you hear your own breath.
Be the breath.
Inhale deeply.
Exhale slowly.
Feel its flow.
Hear.
Listen.
Learn.
Know.
And perhaps change.
Om shanti shanti shanti om.
Peace,
Peace,
Peace.
Om shanti shanti shanti om.
