Listening to your body

How Do You Listen? An important question in counselling and psychotherapy

A wise old owl sat in an oak,The more she saw, the less she spoke. The less she spoke, the more she heard. Why can’t we be like this wise old bird?

In the mid-1980’s I served an apprenticeship with a Native American medicine man, Sun Bear.

When I introduced Sun Bear to an audience, I said:

There are different ways to listen. One way is to listen with your head, to try to understand, explain, interpret, evaluate and take notes.

Another way is to listen with your heart, allowing his words to evoke feelings, sensations and thoughts.

If you listen with your head, you will miss Sun Bear, because he speaks directly to your heart.

How do you listen to music? Do you try to understand and evaluate it, or do you allow it to touch and move you?

How do you listen?