Listening can be described as becoming aware. Contrary to popular belief, effective listening uses more than just your ears. For example: Let’s say you were cooking and the phone rang, as you ran to answer, you forget to turn the off the stove. The only thing reminding you that you did this was the smell of food burning in the pan you were cooking in.
There are so many examples of how we often listen using more than just our ears, but the main point is that you can learn to listen by being more aware and receptive.
I find meditation to be one of the easiest, yet most effective methods to learn to listen more effectively. One of my favorite techniques of doing this uses breathing as a way to relax and learn to focus. It is said that we humans, as a rule, use only 10% of our minds; the rest is Spiritual. By meditating regularly you can do much to increase your receptivity and become a much better listener.
