How Well Do You Listen?

I was reading Rosemary Altea's website content just a bit ago....and my guide whispered to me, 'that is so important to any healing process!'. As we move through life, and as life speeds up(just look at the advances in technology over the past 20 years), we lose the ability to listen, in so many ways. It is the greatest gift we can give ourselves and those we love, and yet, all too often, we ask questions and then don't really listen to the other person's response. This is true with ourselves, as well. How many times have you done something that you knew would cause you some kind of pain(body, mind, heart, soul) as time wore on, ...but you did it anyway? So what's going on here?
I believe we are trying to either deaden some kind of pain that we're dragging along from past wounds by turning off our ability to listen, or we're trying to feel something, ANYthing. We're not really LISTENING to ourselves and our world, but as long as we're breathing and have the desire to make the change, its not too late.
In my practice, I counsel people from all walks of life, and I also provide Animal Reiki both in person and by distance. Having a great capacity for listening to the client is key in knowing what they need and how I may be of greatest assistance to them. Listening is not just done with the ears.
One can listen:
-By observing and picking up on the client's body language(if in person)
-By asking yourself how you feel about the client's energy vibrations at that time
-By watching how the client reacts to questions put to them
-and much more!

So, it is safe to say that listening is not limited to just what we hear with our ears. We can listen with our hearts, our bodies, ALL of our senses. If you're seeking healing or offering it to others, or if you're simply trying to help someone out in some way, try this experiment:
     Ask a question. Say no more. Allow the person or animal to respond, give them a good amount of time, mainly because they may not expect you to wait for an answer(remember how fast life has become these days, we're conditioned to hurry through everything). As they begin to answer or respond to what you've put to them, observe first their tone of voice...is it calm or is it nervous? Then, watch their eyes....are they looking at you, or are they looking away? Now, notice what you feel energetically....do you feel relaxed or do you feel uneasy(a sign that they are uneasy or unwell). Lastly, what are they saying? Do they seem to be open to your concern or are they averting the question altogether by bringing up something unrelated? It doesn't really matter what's going on at the surface of the conversation or interaction, but what you're picking up on with your other senses. Putting all of this information together and assessing it will help you to become a better healer, and also, if you observe yourself in this kind of situation(or even a pet), you'll learn things about how you communicate with others and how you may be not be listening to your own needs.
I'd love to help you learn more about listening to yourself and others, and I can also help you learn how to pick up on your pet's unique way of communicating. I offer Reiki healing, spiritual counseling, wellness & relationship coaching, and more at www.autumnsenchantments.com  If you have any questions about my services, drop me a line---I'm happy to listen and respond with care and compassion. I look forward to hearing from you! Pun intended :-)