The Art of Listening

For the last few months my mantra has been "Listen". Practicing the art of listening in nature is magical. Birds, trees, bugs, neighbours, my own breath...there's so much to listen to! And then of course there is listening to others, my partner, students, friends, my little dog Roxy, my body, my intuition...

Listening is simplex. Its simple in the way that there is only one instruction, one focus...listen. Its complex because there seems to be many many distractions that can get in the way of really listening. My body sometimes wants to fidget and my mind tracks other stories of past or future possibilities.

To help in my practice of listening, I have been using Nia's RAW state of being as a way to drop into a deeper relationship with listening.

TRY IT!

Relaxed refers to the body, either standing or sitting, with an upright spine. Your chakra centers are aligned and open. Relaxed is marked by an absence of tension in your body.

Alert refers to the mind and means that while your body is relaxed, your mind is not sleepy. Instead, your mind is alert--not preoccupied with thoughts or opinions, but simply curious about the different sounds and spaces of silence that come and go.

Waiting refers to the attitude of your spirit. You are waiting in wonderment, open and curious to whatever arises in the music, rather than passing judgments such as "this isn't good," or "I can't dance to this." Waiting is a spiritual attitude of complete acceptance and open-mindedness. It keeps you centered and focused on allowing sounds to come, instead of seeking, thinking and judging.

(From Nia Newsletter)

Listening is key to any human relationship, and it is certainly a key to deepening into your relationship with music and the dance.

Here's a link to listen to Nia music online...for FREE! Use this link to continue dancing through the summer, and to practice the Art of Listening.

I also use the music of Andre Nobels quite often in class. His music is an instant "Heart Lock-in" and his smooth voice is so fun to ride with movement.

Enjoy!

Exercise: RAW

Sometime today or tonight, put on any piece of music and practice RAW. Sit upright, relax your body, keep your mind alert...and now wait. Wait for the magic to begin. You will be amazed at how you feel after you listen wholly, giving your complete attention to your music-muse.