We grow up in circumstances where parents, teachers, coaches and other adults demand that we listen to them as they speak words to us. That can be important, and, if we are honest, that becomes something that we lose interest in quickly. So many words, and often words that we think we have heard before so we tune into something else.
There are layers of messages being offered to us that transcend someone saying words at us, all the time, that we can choose to listen to. Here are a few.
Feelings. We can tune in, literally, any moment of any day, to our own feelings and ask: what am I feeling now? What is that feeling associated with? Does it have something for me to pay attention to? Does it suggest some action for me to take? Is there some wisdom wrapped up in that feeling?
A Nagging Inner Sense. This is the sense we have of ourselves often held around our heart or stomach space. It comes without words but with a nagging, often vague, sense of presence. Philosopher, Eugene Gendlin, called this a “felt sense.” We can find it by being still, setting aside all the other things that want our attention, for a moment, and just asking: what’s going on with me right now? It may have some insight for us, a piece of wisdom, an action that needs taking, or, it might just want acknowledgment that this felt sense is at work in us.
Nature. When was the last time we left a building for any length of time and opened ourselves (heart, mind, feelings, sense of body) to the nature beings around us (trees, animals, plants, the wind, the rain, the sunshine et al)? Do they have a message, a piece of wisdom, a presence they want to share with us?
The Unexpected Human. If we create the intention to be open to other human beings, they will show up. It might be at the grocery store or walking in the park or at the bank or any number of places we find ourselves. They approach our lives in some way, and we have the opportunity to bypass them or be open to them. It might be for a moment or for an hour. What matters is the openness, the listening, that we offer as a gift.
There are many other layers of listening. In this month of October, we will be exploring them through the practices of deep listening. How are we being invited to practice listening in ways that we have not or do not often engage?
~Bob Patrick
Through my therapy sessions I have been practicing deep listening to my emotions. How I thought my emotions were layered, like an onion, now more seems that my emotions are more like a paint pour, with the emotions swirling around, sadness with appreciation, joy with anger, anxiety with accomplishment. All there swirling around each other and now I listen to them a bit more deeply to discover their offering for the day.