Listening Outward

We love to fill in the blanks. With a small amount of information, we decide that we already know what something is and we label it. But when we label or categorize something, we’re relating it to what we already know. And when we decide that we know something, we stop listening.

It’s faster, isn’t it, to just file something away with what we’ve previously experienced and already know? When a cashier at the store asks a question, do you assume that you know what it’s going to be? Maybe “How are you?” or “Do you need a bag?” And how many times have you responded to one of those questions when what you were asked was not that at all? I’ve done it. It’s awkward.

When that kind of interaction happens, what we’re really practicing is deciding ahead of time how it will go, rather than observing what’s there in real time. We’re responding to something that hasn’t happened yet - and might not happen at all.

Stock photo by Jon Tyson

This week’s talk through is for a lie down in prone. If you’ve tried lying in prone before and it didn’t work for you, consider giving it another go and leaving room for a new experience. When I was first introduced to lying in prone, I had a number of excuses about why it wasn’t going to be for me. My nose was too big and it was always going to be in the way. I was too bony for it to be comfortable. I couldn’t see my surroundings enough to feel safe. Those excuses were based in my real experiences and I was uncomfortable, but I was also assuming that it would be the same experience every time. I wasn’t leaving room for myself to learn something new. I wasn’t listening to where there were opportunities to undo and improve my conditions. I was starting from the assumption that I knew how it would go. Period. It’s a good thing that I had guidance (that I eventually listened to) and that I didn’t give up on lying in prone. Now I keep coming back to it because of the way it continues to open me up. Lying in prone releases my rib cage. It helps me to feel my whole self lengthening along the floor. It provides a starting place for exploring other movements. It allows me to listen to my surroundings. It is an invitation to hear things differently.

Alexandra & Kateri

Placing a few narrow books under your chest to elevate it can help to make room for your neck to lengthen.