In our highly distracted world, most of us are hearing alright but very few are listening. Listening is an art and there’s a yogic practice to perfect this art. Listening is an art and there’s a yogic practice to perfect this art. At its root, even being alert in meditation is nothing but carefully listening to your mind.
The Sanskrit term is Sravana. It means to listen. The practice of listening is a simple and powerful way to build your concentration. The one who practices the art of listening undergoes a rapid transformation in their ability to remain concentrated.
Listening requires that you be alert an attentive in the present moment. Let us say you are attending a lecture in some class on Marketing. If you are not paying attention, in other words not listening, to what the lecturer is saying, sitting in the class is anything but useful. To know what the teacher is saying, you have to listen, and in order to listen, you have to pay attention. This is concentration.
A man approached Buddha once and said, “I want to become wise. Please tell me how do I operate better in the world? What do I do to not mess my relationships?” Buddha spoke, “It is very simple. You only have to be mindful of two things – listen attentively to others when they are talking and even more attentively to yourself when you are talking.”
The practice of listening does not require that you sit in a meditative posture. You can do it multiple times in a day. You could even do it while driving or commuting.
Reference : Om Swami. A Million Thoughts.
Be Inspired..!! 
When I saw the word “listening”- as an art, I automatically thought of the listening skills required in the acting world. I am a theater minor
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Oh that is amazing.
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I actually thought I would only have a minor in Spanish Cultural Studies, but due to taking all the theater electives, I was taking, I was able to have a minor in theater.
Now whenever I go to the theater, I can appreciate what I am seeing a lot more
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I love your posts. It always seems like you know just what to say when I am in need of hearing it. Thank you for sharing!
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Hahaha Thank you Matthew. I am glad my posts resonate with you. Thank you for stopping by and taking time for leaving a comment.
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There is a misconception that because we have ears, of course we hear. As you note, as with any skill practice is involved. And some learning wouldn’t hurt. In relationships between spouses, friends, or nations’ leaders, I believe there are few things more valuable than attentive listening.
Thank you for writing about this.
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I agree with you. Listening is more than just that. Imagine listening and then watching the thoughts which emerge from a third person perspective. It takes the anxiety away, takes away the need to respond.
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A listener understand people more than a talker.
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Yes Manoj. Good listeners are alert, attentive and engaged. They listen with respect. They make an active choice to think before speaking. As a good listener, your role is to build upon what has been said and then contribute in a way that moves the conversation forward.
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I completely agree with you.
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🙂
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