The Art of Sacred Communication.

Practicing the art of sacred listening
Listening
When you are talking to someone, be with them fully, focused on what is being said, not with what’s going on in your head.
This is called listening. Listening is not passive. It is an active part of dialogue and it works both ways.

Ask yourself – am I listening from my heart? When you are listening from your heart there is no tendency to interrupt or push or to make your opinion heard. You are just listening. The whole of your body is listening. Your soul is listening.

Blocks to Listening

Comparing.
Comparing your self to the person speaking. You are smarter/more competent and therefore you are a better person. Or they are better – proving your unworthiness.

Mind Reading
Figuring out what the other person is really thinking/feeling. Often this involves making assumptions about how others are reacting to you.

Rehearsing
Thinking about what you are going to say next.

Filtering
Listening to some things and not to others. Hearing only what you want to hear.
Half – listening, while thinking of something else.

Judging
Applying labels to another person – often negative labels.

Dreaming
Being triggered into your own memories by something the other person says.

Identifying
Referring everything to your own experience. Talking about a similar experience of your own instead of responding to the other person’s experience.

Advising
If you come up with advice and suggestions as soon as someone stops speaking, you have been problem solving instead of listening.

Think about these the next time you are listening.

Are you guilty of one of the above?

Being 'Human', it is very differcult not to.