Active Listening: A Guide

Active listening is an art. It goes beyond just hearing, it’s a deeper listening that seeks to understand and connect. When we are actively listening, we mute our attention on our other 4 senses – sight, smell, taste and touch.

One way to practice active listening is during a conversation. While listening to what is being said, begin to focus on the sound quality and words being spoken. As you continue to focus in, you will tune out outside noises. Your attention on the words will shift how you relate to the person speaking, it creates a space for presence, strengthening your connection with who you are speaking with.

It is also possible to practice actively listening as a way to slow down. By reassigning your attention to a singular sound at a time, your mind and body begin to feel more grounded. Once you feel that shift, focus on another sound, from the busy streets to the sound of the wind, and so on. Stripping down sensations to individual elements brings a sense of awareness that opens up a sense of place and embodiment.

Another way to practice active listening is with music, which for many can become a form of active meditation.

Listening to music or making music, alters your senses and mood. Whether you are dancing or sitting down, close your eyes and “feel” the music, listen to all of its elements and notice the sensations that flow through you.

It is a particularly potent practice when dancing because the body becomes an active rhythmic meditation, allowing the senses to hear music, keeping the mind engaged on the elements of the sound while a flow state emerges.

No matter which one you choose to try out, practicing actively listening is a powerful way to connect with yourself and others.