We all long to be heard, but few realize how much distortion exists, preventing that goal. To have true, clear interaction with another, mind chatter must be stilled. When the mind is silenced, one can fully hear, from the heart.
When the mind is stilled, the heart can feel the emotional content behind the words. Rather than applying your own feelings and attitudes to the situation, empathy allows you to experience anotherโs perspective. Empathic interaction enriches communication and honors the depth of what is being conveyed. When clearly and honestly engaged, there is no risk of emotional manipulation.
Fist posted on Almine’s Facebook page.
siany says
Beloved Jane, thank you so much for sharing this. I read & re-read this several times. It was really divinely timed.
And Beloved Lydia… no more work to do for you… it sounds like you have plenty. So wonder woman is only for play & fun…plus, it’s impossible to be serious when you have silver stickers falling off your underpants & a teatowel tucked in your tshirt ๐
(ps Lydia, I saw an Almine clip recently where she said the words ‘cancel cancel cancel’… I imagine like you say ‘stop’ so I’ve been trying this too & works a treat! And I am so glad other people talk to themselves outloud!)
xxx for you both
Jane Barry says
I’d like to share this great piece I just discovered from Almine’s course The Art of Dreaming (p.12)
From the Scrolls of Indecision
Learn now the language that in pictures speaks
Let it paint a feeling, pay attention to omissions not seen
In the feelings and gaps, half the cosmic information lies
Leave the arrogance of perception and cognition behind
As you learn to know this language
that your inner child speaks
The meaning only partly can be understood, the rest you must feel
Man has only valued what can be grasped by the brain
Which is why he has in counterfeit realities remained
The way out of mediocrity, you shall find
Lies with the inner child, who shall break the bondage of mind
Great secrets shall be through the child revealed
Who will tell of those who authority did steal
Who imprisoned the child, who holds the key
From unauthentic realties to set man free
But humanity is the archetype of all cosmic life
The reality of all cosmic life depends on humankind
Lydia Yellowbird says
LOL! I did laugh out loud! Thank you darlings for your comments! Made my day! Wonder Woman! I thought I had shed the super woman bit, guess I have some more work to do! No Jungle Jane though!
Yes I am working on many fronts it appears, what with the Dragon cloud appearing above my work place, my son dreaming of my work place having burnt up (Destructuring) and engaging with this lady who I am learning so much from (going on 2 months)! every time I think I can dis engage and walk away (resistance), my heart says not yet! So I become still and observe myself and all the others’ on stage! I surrendered to this work, this was not my final goal, to work with the people in my tribal community, in Income Support because I knew 20 years ago it was hard work to reach people who had such deep issues, the first time I walked away! Here I am again, and it appears it is the right time for some to hear me! The first time I burnt out with no help and I had my own issues to work through! And guess what I moved on to become a parole officer! Hmmm seems to be a pattern! 6 years as a po, then 4 years off then 2 years at an inner city hospital as a helper (chaplain) working with Cree people again who were sick and dying! And I am wanting to walk away from the tribe! this is a paradox! Can I walk away from the tribe but still be among them? Listening to my heart causes my mind to go into hyper analysis until I literally have to say out loud STOP! My assistant is used to me now, talking to myself!
During the four years after I resigned from the PO job, I was alone, no money, no IE or UI, just my wits and needle, no visitors, no car, on foot, and it was the best time I had. I walked the shores of the lake, I cried my heart out alone in my house. I wrote in my journal and I did not pray! I asked all manners of questions, what is god and who said he exists and why do I believe he does. so on and so forth! And I always asked, where is the mother in god? he alone cannot have created!
And then I met Almine?
Lydia Yellowbird says
I really like this, thank you Siany, Jane, the “day in court” is valid, and it is what I have been doing when something is “buzzing around in my head and emotions” by talking to my admin assistant and my grand daughter, anyone who will listen to me with their full attention. I unravel what is bugging me and come up with the clear answer! They learn as they are listening to me give all the perspectives and with their questions I learn! It is a fascinating exchange and I feel the uplifting energy to dive in back to work! It works in all areas of my life as well, the full attention of my listener assists me to hear myself, if that makes any sense! I can’t fully hear myself think because there are too many bees buzzing around in my head, all trying to get my attention but when I have someone else listening, and asking me the right questions, it helps me find the answer. especially when my emotions are involved.
Jane Barry says
Thank you Siany for this good advice. Experiential seems to be the only way for me at the moment so I put your suggestion to test straight away, asking my mind whether it had something significant to communicate.
At first there was nothing and then an actual bee appeared in my bonnet so to speak. He said:’ I want to work on something …. please give me a good project to work on….’. I’m really happy to get this clear statement from my mind because for quite some time I’ve been zoning out and floating off to NeverneverLand. My latest keyword is focus. This little exercise has bolstered my resolve. My mind is a glorious tool to be employed at my discretion.
Another thing this has also emphasised is that my mind likes to communicate with me in pictures. I’m really only getting the significance of this in the last week. If I genuinely want to access the truth, a picture will come as the first step. Having reread Niels’ original statement, I think this must be because mind and heart are beautifully intertwined in a picture beyond any manipulation……
Jane Barry says
Dear Lydia, Great to hear from you. This will sound a bit funny, but I thought of you this morning and wondered what your answer would be……….. I love to hear updates on the Exploits of Lydia: A-Z on Mastery in the Matrix. I see you in a fantastic Wonder woman outfit. You look great, by the way!
Your admin assistant and your granddaughter are lucky ladies.
At the moment I’m on a Lone ranger run so I’m challenged mostly to honestly engage with myself. It is turning out to be a lot of fun as I steer around my own lovely webs…..
Luckily there’s lots of help around. The final meditation on the Meditation 3 course was an outstanding finale and right on the button for me.
siany says
Oh beautiful Jane! What a fabulous reply! Thank you so much for sharing that. Oh, and you have made me giggle because I see things in pictures too… so now in my head Lydia is wearing a wonder woman costume whilst driving her truck!
(Lydia, just an extra little tip for you for your new Wonder Woman costume… my grandma gave me those lick & stick silver star stickers when I was a little girl. I think she intended them for paper but I thought it would marvellous to try & stick them to a pair of blue underpants to dress up as Wonder Woman… and promptly discovered that when you do the magic Wonder Woman twirl… they all fall off… so you might want to try the super sticky star versions, they stay on longer! ๐ Also, tea towels don’t make for very good capes… bedsheets have a much better swoosh ๐ & when you twizzle your Wonder Woman ‘lasso of truth’ (in my case I think it was some of my dad’s old manky looking rope in the shed!) be advised that in small spaces it tends to thwack you in the head unexpectedly!) ๐
And dear Jane, like you, I am on a bit of a Lone Ranger run too at the moment, after going cold turkey in a short space of time & moving away from all the major people & situations in my life that were no longer life enhancing & then finding myself here alone thinking ‘ooo now what!’ But like you said so beautifully, it is fun & help arrives when you need it & there is space for new people to arrive in your life who are much more life enhancing than you dreamed possible… like you & Lydia & the lovely people on here ๐ xx
Jane Barry says
I too like this piece. One question just springs to mind, what is your top practical tip for stilling the chattering mind, without getting out any tools?
Just to give an example of the kind of thing I mean: I listened to Bridging Heaven and Earth Show with Almine on Youtube the other day and in it she offered a great tip for processing pain, which was to get in the shower and cry and cry. I had already discovered this myself, but recognised it more clearly as she said it. This is such a good tip for those of us who like to keep a tight lid on things. It’s not only good for processing pain, but also all emotions. The daily shower can become a glorious ritual flow of self-appreciation and expression.
So, what of the chattering mind?
siany says
Dearest Jane, in case this helps at all, Jeanne & I were speaking of a similar thing recently in a yoga session & she mentioned one method which Almine had given her, which was to simply give something it’s ‘day in court’.
So if something within you is wanting to be heard, for example & this is perhaps fizzing around your head like a bee in a bonnet because it is not… you give it your full attention & hear it out fully & give it space for full expression to you (like people are granted a hearing in a courtroom).
I did try this with some mind chatter recently & found that there were indeed some parts of me which I wasn’t listening to. I was just hearing the chatter bit & trying to ignore it & so I listened & got to the deeper reason why it was chattering & once I acknowledged that, there was more peace.
I realised I couldn’t listen fully from my heart to others if my own heart wasn’t being heard fully by me either.
Diane says
I love this method of processing pain! Thanks for sharing.
Dhani says
How wonderfully well stated. I am copying this for me records ๐