Listening...

How often do we really listen? It’s a frequent subject for discussion in our weekly mindfulness group, as there are so many different aspects to explore. So many times during our day we are presented with an opportunity to connect to another, and we let ourselves get in the way, by only hearing what we want to hear, or by part listening which is actually just waiting to speak! A kind of selective listening that is filtered out by the habits of our mind. 
This can also apply to ourselves...how often do we take the time to listen to ourselves. Yoga is a brilliant practice for this, and I was thrilled when one of my regulars told me that she had learnt so much about herself being on her mat each week. Listening to ourselves takes practice, then it takes compassion, in order to accept what we hear. It may be that we ‘hear’ that our body is tired, but that isn’t convenient as the mind is telling us there is lots that ‘should’ be done! It may be that in our asana practice we are pushing too far, and the body is complaining but the mind is telling us we have been doing yoga for years so we ‘should’ be able to do this pose! 
Once we get tuned in to what we hear, we need to find courage to act on it, to honour ourselves and find ways to treat ourselves better. Maybe this means stepping away from a toxic relationship, giving up a job that makes us unhappy (one of my clients has done just that recently and feels sooooo much better) sleeping more, whatever suits. Treating ourselves with care and compassion will mean we have so much more to give, wholeheartedly to others, so really it’s a win win.
Listening to the sounds around us is another practice, a quick and easy one that we can do anywhere, that is really helpful if the mind has gone into overdrive. 
In what way could you benefit from listening more in your life?