These days of such intense rains, as we move deeper into winter, I’ve been contemplating what deep listening means and how it relates to the rains. Within Qigong practice there is a connection between sound and rain: it’s said that it helps to practice as if you were listening to rain in the background—equivalent to silence...
Coming back now to deep listening. The word ‘listen’ 聽 in Chinese is composed of two ideograms: "ear" and "virtue," plus a person giving their attention. The subdivision of ‘virtue’ includes ‘heart,’ ‘eye,’ and undivided attention. So, in short, ‘listening’ is not only ‘hearing’ what a person says, but going further—showing up and offering our attention from the heart.
The question, then, is how can we learn in life to listen with ever more undivided attention in a world where we have to split ourselves, divide ourselves, and do everything at once...?
With practices like meditation and Qigong we begin to tune in more and more to our body and breath. Qualities the water element teaches us in its immense depth: how to slow down, stop sometimes, stay stiller, and listen deeply—like the sounds of rain, wind...
Want to practice this in your body? Each course works with one element at your own pace, with immediate access. And if you don’t know where to start, write to me.
