“Don’t just hear, listen.” — Roy T Bennett
Listening is a tangible way we can press pause and connect with the present moment. In this way, we can look at listening as a way to be mindful.
I had the pleasure of interviewing singer-songwriter Michael Dunstan in issue 05 of our print mag to chat about how mindfulness permeates his life. The artist, wise beyond his years, shares some insights on the simple yet profound practice of listening.
“When I need to pause, I close my eyes and sit somewhere for a while. I notice my breathing, but I mostly just pause and listen. Listening is something that I always find will bring me back and get me relaxed. I close my eyes and listen, and then after a minute or so I feel like a bit of normality is back,” he says through a smile.
Nature is an easeful environment to put conscious listening into practice. “I often just listen to what’s outside nature-wise, whether that’s birds or the wind — that’s the kind of the stuff I’m listening out for. You can choose what you want to listen to and how it affects you,” he continues.
Listening to your surroundings is a powerful mindful practice that author Joey Hulin explores so eloquently in this very same issue of Being: “Consciously bringing our attention to our ears, to the sound of the present moment, can help break being caught up in the fantasy of thought and transport us back to what is real: the present moment,” she explains.
Not only is listening a mindful practice that connects you more intimately with what’s happening right here, right now, it also allows you to deepen your relationship with yourself, others and the land on which you walk.
To explore the mindful concept of listening in more depth, you can grab a copy of Being issue 05, or any of our other print editions and mindfulness companion publications, in our online store.
