Listening.
It's a skill that we could all use a little bit of practice in.
As an actor,
I've had to hone my listening skills.
If you watch actors on the screen,
You'll notice that the really good actors are deeply listening to one another.
And you can see it on their faces.
You can read it in their body language.
Listening deeply allows us to respond with appropriateness,
With maturity,
And with deep compassion.
And listening can also be a skill that we can practice in our meditation.
So I offer this meditation to help you build stronger listening muscles so that you may hear and know truth when you hear it from others.
And you may listen to your own guidance and the guidance that comes from your Divine Source of counsel.
So get settled in,
Find a comfortable seat.
Soften your gaze or close your eyes gently.
Wiggle around,
Settle in.
And swallow in your throat to soften your throat,
Relaxing those muscles.
And just give yourself the gift of this time for the next several minutes to explore this idea of listening.
First,
Take notice of what you hear in the distance.
Perhaps there's sounds of traffic,
Airplanes.
Wherever you are,
Just notice what sounds you hear outside of the space where you are seated.
See how many different sounds you can discern.
If you're outside,
You might hear the sounds of birds.
If you're inside an office space,
You might hear just conversations happening in the distance.
Just notice how many different sounds.
Just getting curious.
And then bring your awareness into your space.
Notice the sounds that are closer to you.
Whatever sounds are in the room.
Of course,
Perhaps you hear the sound of your own heartbeat.
Just allowing those sounds to be there.
Draw your awareness inward and begin to deepen your breath.
Noticing the sound of your own breath as you inhale,
Filling belly,
Rib cage,
And lungs.
And the gentle sound of the exhale as you exhale from top down to your belly.
Beginning again,
Noticing the soft sound of your own breathing.
Deeply listening for that breath.
Perhaps slowing down your breath a little bit more.
As the body begins to relax more and more with each deep breath,
Call to mind a question you've been pondering.
Maybe something from this week or a recent encounter with another person.
Perhaps it's even a deeper existential question.
Whatever it is,
Choose one question.
And repeat it in your mind several times.
And get the question phrased just the way you want to phrase it.
So keeping it simple,
Let that question form succinctly in your mind.
Breathe in the question.
Breathe in the question.
Exhale.
Breathe in the question again.
And exhale again.
Last time,
Take your time,
Fill up with that breath and your question.
And then exhale slowly.
And just pause to listen.
If you find yourself making lists or thinking about anything that is not your question,
Come back to your breath first.
Take a nice deep inhalation.
Breathe in your question.
And exhale and listen.
Beautiful job.
Notice if thoughts are starting to form in response to your question.
And if they are,
Just make a mental note.
The skill of deep listening is a practice.
And when we take the time to still our minds,
To calm our bodies,
We are more able to easily retrieve the answers to our own questions.
So I invite you to come back to this practice again and again,
Breathing in your questions.
And then taking the time to exhale and listen.
Every exhale is an opportunity to empty yourself of what you believe that you know and open to receive the answer that is deeply embedded within all of the questions,
Have answers.
And softening enough to be still and receptive to the answers is really the key to accepting the answers we get.
And then ultimately to taking the actions we need to take with compassion for self or other,
With maturity and with intention.
Thank you for practicing.
Continue to listen deeply for your own inner wisdom and the wisdom of your divine guidance system.
Until next time,
I wish you peace.
Namaste.
