#64 – 3 practices that keep my mind empty (Part 1)

I noticed that it was excess thinking, not a lack of English vocabulary, that made me stumble and fumble when delivering a workshop. I couldn't decide which one of the dozen ideas swirling in my head I should follow.

Since that sunny afternoon in my 20th-floor Midtown Manhattan office in 2018, I’ve been working on decluttering my mind. Today I'm sharing the first practice I learned.

On Parts 2 and 3 of this post, I'll tell you how ChiRunning and Meditation help me keep a (more or less) empty mind.

Level 3 Listening

One of the first things one learns in Co-Active Coaching training is the three levels of listening.

On Level 1, you listen to the noise in your head: judgements about the other person, the circumstances, yourself, what you're gonna make for dinner, you need to take that dress to the dry-cleaner before the trip next week...

On Level 2, you listen to the story the other person is telling you wanting to "understand." Your logical brain is tracking the details, looking for inconsistencies, and remembering who did what.

On Level 3, you listen to the whole person. Your body and intuition track the emotions of the speaker. You listen for changes in their voice, and for how their energy match (or doesn't) the words they're saying.

When you speak or write, listening to yourself on Level 3 allows you to be emotionally connected to what you're saying. You follow your idea and watch it unfold as you go through it.

You don't plan or censor yourself. You stay with yourself and the idea you're transmitting.

You sense whether your words will help the recipient. You stay present, guiding your message with emotional clarity, rather than getting lost in your own mental noise.

In what areas of your life do you find yourself clinging to unnecessary thoughts?

Love,

Carolina