When I go to a yoga studio, I seek out the instructors who move at a faster pace. This typically lands me in vinyasa flow classes with a “one breath, one movement” approach. The kind of class where I leave drenched, and not because it’s a hot room, but because I worked for it.
At the other end of the spectrum is yin yoga. It’s peaceful and slow, focusing on fewer, deeper postures. I find it incredibly challenging, but not in a physical way. My brain just goes all over the place.
I’m a thinker. If there’s anything I continuously fail at it’s quieting and calming my mind. I’ve been aware for some time that my one big beast is finding focus.
It didn’t occur to me until today that this might affect my listening skills. I know. Hello, Captain Obvious, right? If my mind is always moving, I can’t possibly listen as deeply as I should.
When was the last time, with a clear mind, I gave full and total focus to the conversation at hand? When I could honestly say there wasn’t something – an incoming email, a random thought, my next meal – lurking in the corners of my head?
Today, a couple of things happened. This is about to get heavy. I went to ThriveMap, a purpose-finding and goal-setting event. They asked me to write my eulogy, what I hope my loved ones would write about after my passing. This is a grounding and sorrowful thing to consider.
Then, the horrific news from Connecticut, another senseless loss of lives. No pretend stuff here. Real eulogies that shouldn’t yet be written.
If ever there was a time to listen, to love, to live in the moment, now. Now I will go home and listen as deeply as I can.
This post is part of Think Kit by SmallBox
Today’s prompt: “Listening — when was the last time you listened to someone, where, why?”