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Wrestling With Yourself

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I plead the 5th

I plead the 5th

Last updated on: May 21, 2013 at 2:37 pm by David Matthew Brown

I plead the 5th 2013-05-21T14:37:52-06:00 David Matthew Brown

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As mentioned on several occasions on this blog, we spend most of our time talking. In fact talking to ourselves, texting, on Facebook, twitter, and less time hearing. So as we leave talking as a the focal point of our reality, we begin to rest in hearing. Hearing the breath, hearing ourselves, no judgement. It is not personal. This experiment of solely hearing has been taught to students at Unity Burbank. I have facilitated this class and asked the students to check in.

Their response has been overwhelming with me. They are and have been surprised by their friends, family, partners, and even strangers as they begin to let “hearing” dominate and talk when needed. Talking is about 10% of communication, and hearing is 90%. Although in our fast paced, quick fix, change the other person society, talking has occupied 90% of peoples attention and only 10% now is fully engaged in hearing. This is important, because social media is not social at all. It negates the importance of hearing and affection from the other. The dialogue is fragmented, hiding, and escaping.

By fully engaging in hearing both yourself and the other, both people can rest in the breath, and enjoy the conversation which simple means conversion. Converting the breath into sound, which forms words. By resting in “hearing the breath”, 24/7 a day, it shifts the importance of purpose to something bigger. Each of us is walking in a huge oxygen tank that is breathing all of us with ease and grace. So it is really beneficial to just hear it. Now trust me, I have explained to my class, this sounds simple, but it is not. It is quite difficult.

Now when hearing, we end the argument of not being heard or seen from another, we end a lot of nonsense, and we actually gain understanding of another person, and meet them right where they are. When hearing the breath, you rest in the silence, as you rest in silence, it opens you up to vulnerability, which is what talking covers up. Talking masks vulnerability, feeling naked, talking is mostly like a magic trick, wanting the person to see you and see that you have it together. Now don’t misunderstand me, like all truth, it is a paradox.

My point in hearing is it changes the dialogue, the dialogue comes from moment to moment, it is intentional, and shows respects for the other. If talking is the emphasis then it becomes a different conversation. Hearing first is 5th realm and talking to talk is 3rd realm.

As always, I invite you not to trust me but discover it for yourself. Spend time hearing the breath, your breath. And as you are aware of the breath, see if there is really anything to talk about. And when you meet a friend, hear the breath, and heart them, and see if the conversation becomes deeper and richer and real and vulnerable. Rest in your breath. Let me know how it goes? EMAIL: [email protected]

wrestling with yourself

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