An Excerpt from The Sacred Art of Listening: Forty Reflections for Cultivating a Spiritual Practice by Kay Lindahl

Kay Lindahl presents 40 ways to access the sacred art of listening in this paperback. Here is an excerpt on this spiritual practice.

"Over the years I have discovered that there is a basic context that nurtures and develops the practice of listening as a sacred art. Three qualities that are essential to this deep listening context are silence, reflection, and presence.

  • "Silence creates the space for listening to God. It provides time to explore our relationship to Source. The practice of being in this silence nurtures our capacity to listen to others.

  • "Reflection gives us access to listening for our inner voice. The practice of taking a few breaths before responding to a situation, question, or comment gives time for your true wisdom to reveal itself. It's a slowing down, waiting, practicing patience.

  • "Presence is the awareness of listening to another, of connecting at the heart level. The practice of taking a mundane, ordinary activity and giving it your full attention, for example, washing your hands or brushing your teeth, trains your concentration and your ability to be in the present moment with another.

"These three qualities of deep listening work together in an organic process that creates the context for the art of listening. Practicing them for just a few minutes a day will enhance your awareness and transform your relationships with Source, self, and others."