Somehow, up till
now, I never equated listening with meditation. But think about it, it
truly is the art of listening.
In the most
basic sense meditation is an expansive awareness (an intense state of presence)
that gives the less audible parts of ourselves a chance to be heard.
I personally
have never found listening easy. The whirring of my mind tends to get in the
way of being present, preventing me from experiencing the surrender and
receptiveness that characterize it.
This is why
meditation is so important, key to a life of vitality and connection.
Meditation is where we learn how to listen--deeply.
The practice of
meditation, as I see it, is a sanctuary for deepening our relationship to
ourselves, to the universe and to one another. Meditation practice helps us
ground ourselves in being—the reality
of our actual lives.
When we
meditate, anytime we find we have drifted off into thought, we acknowledge the
thinking and return to just being aware and breathing—no judgment, no clinging
to thought. Gradually the thinking of the ego subsides and settles, allowing
for a more spacious awareness—presence—to
bloom.
And what is listening if not the act of being truly awake and present?
I dare not speak
of it any more than this as I am merely an amateur, but I encourage you all to
do your own research into the art of deep listening to see what makes sense to you.
Jon
Kabat-Zinn’s, Wherever You Go There You
Are is a classic and a great place to start.
