Newsletter May 2008
Monthly Focus is Listening
Namaste!
(I honor the God in you!)
It is a pleasure and a joy to share this first issue of the Way of Being Newsletter. I hope it will invite and encourage you to express and deepen your way of being through the Transformative Art of Yoga.
The purpose of my newsletter and website is to share yogic wisdom and insight, and to offer a grounding point for our practice. It is my hope to create a means of sharing and building in community. In yoga, we call it Sangha. ENJOY!
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Monthly Kriya: Listening as a daily practice.
When listening to others, as you hear their words tune in to their energy and gain a sense of intuitive understanding, ask questions to verify or validate the sense of feeling you recieve. Relate to their
body languane and respond only if you are asked. Be present and be patient.
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Listening Through Vibration
Listening is not only a cognitive practice – it is a sense of connection and physical feeling – it is a vibration. To understand the meaning of words beyond their definition, one must consider the feeling; the movement, the energy, and the vibrational quality of what is being expressed.
As we become more aware and willing to improve our relationships, and as we recognize the responsible effort necessary to build healthy connections, we easily understand that listening is a very important skill to cultivate.
The process of listening to our bodies, our higher selves, our families, our children, and our friends is far more than simply hearing what someone or something has to say. It is a practice of honoring ourselves and others for whom and where they are in the present moment. It is trusting that each individual is fully engaged on the path and are exactly where they need to be in the present. The purpose may appear to be beyond our knowing, and that is okay. We needn’t know another person’s future or purpose, in order to honor it in the now. There is quality and energy – a powerful vibrational force – in expressions that remain in the present moment. Listening requires one to stay focused on the now.
There is a great mystery at play in our lives and with intention and practice the subtle nature of listening becomes a practice of honoring and accepting, and letting go of what we want to hear. May the mysteries of the senses offer you heightened perceptions, so that you might engage with patience and understanding in the process of listening. . .and the process of loving.
Daily Reflections
Ask yourself. . .
When I am most attentive, what contributes to my ability to be a good listener?
If I am having an emotional reaction when listening, am I able to be an active listener?
Am I making judgments in accordance with my own experiences as I listen, rather than remaining neutral?
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It is my wish that your practice unfolds in petals of peace and that your heart expands with blooms of beauty, fully content as the showers of Spring nurture your growing roots.
With deep gratitude,
Elaina
Shanti!
