“We are all taught to speak. Only 50% of our population is taught to listen.” ~ Marilyn Shannon
What’s that old saying? We are given two ears and one mouth, so we should listen twice as much as we speak? Too bad no one seems to practice that! I heard a very thought-provoking presentation by Marilyn Shannon (www.powerofdialogue.com) who challenged the audience to really listen to others. Her point was that it truly takes practice, and that you only get good at if you work on it. I found so many connections between her talk and the mission of my store, which is to help people “listen” to their own bodies, to know when they are stressed and to know what will work to release that stress.
I actually had one customer tell me she has absolutely no stress in her life (and I was tempted to respond that she was in denial, but in retail you can’t really insult the customers) but most people eventually realize that the toxic hold of stress is robbing them of their happiness and health. What is harder is to solve it because most have never listened to their bodies to know what relieves it. For example, I’ll ask them “do smells relax you” or “what is the first thing you do when you feel yourself all tense” and a large number just don’t know. That is a sad indication that they are not listening to their own bodies.
Just like Marilyn’s guidance that when you are engaged in a conversation with someone, watch their body language or facial expression for true intent, or listen for the tone as well as the words, I would encourage people to “listen” to their body’s reaction to a neck rub, or the scent of a flower or the taste of a cup of tea. Don’t just gulp down the cup or rework your to-do list while the therapist works the knots out in your neck; try to quiet your mind and focus on your body’s response.
Marilyn suggests that if you find your attention drifting while trying to listen to someone, shift your physical position as a way to re-engage and remain alert. So if you find that one stress-relieving technique isn’t working, don’t just keep trying the same thing, shift to another strategy! Maybe meditation is the key or yoga or aromatherapy so keep experimenting and listening until your body tells you what it needs.
After all, if we don’t listen to our bodies, who will?
