LISTENING MINDFULLY FACILITATES COMMUNICATION BY ALLOWING YOU TO CATCH HINTS OF ANOTHER PERSON’S FEELINGS.

Mindfulness is vital to effective listening. To become mindful is to become fully present in the moment.

You get across to mindful listening through tuning in fully to another person and making efforts to hear that person without imposing your own ideas, judgements or feelings on him or her.

Mindfulness comes up onto the arena when you pay attention, adopt an involved posture, maintain eye-contact and portray an interest in someone else’s point of view.

Listening mindfully facilitates communication by allowing you to catch hints of another person’s feelings. Truly listening to another person encourages that person to engage more fully, expound his or her ideas, and express himself or herself in greater detail to you.

To be mindful is a choice, not a talent.

You get through to open yourself to your interactant by clearing your mind of thoughts and concerns.

You start getting on for mindful listening when you concentrate on your interactant and affirm in your mind, “I want to focus on this person and discover the nature and range of his or her thoughts and feelings.”

Discourage yourself from framing responses because it interferes with your concentration.

Berate not yourself when your mind wanders away; simply refocus your attention on the other person.

Use nonverbal responses like nods and eye-contact to reassure the other person that you are attending mindfully to him or her. Ask questions to encourage elaboration.

Finally, evaluate the depth of your understanding of the other person’s point of view or perspective.