Speaking of “feeling,” we all want to feel good and there’s no better way to feel good than to connect with nature, even if only through the sounds of nature! So, scroll to bottom of this post and enjoy an hour of deep aquatic relaxation therapy — no music, just the calming sounds of surf and crashing waves, to get your Zen Mind in tune …

The more conscious we become, the more we deepen our relationship to the words we choose to use.

Words carry energy and this gives language its power and its potential to heal or hurt. Being conscious means being aware of how we use words.

The Five Keys to Mindful Communication

Using Deep Listening and Mindful Speech to Strengthen Relationships, Heal Conflicts, and Accomplish Your Goals

According to Chapman, the way to mindful communication is what she calls the ‘five key elements,’ which are silence, mirroring, encouraging, discerning, and responding.

Good communication is essential to any healthy relationship, whether it’s between spouses, family members, friends, or co-workers, and mindfulness—the practice of nonjudgmental awareness—can help us communicate more effectively and meaningfully with others in our personal and professional lives. Here, Susan Chapman, a psychotherapist and long-time Buddhist practitioner, explains how the practice of mindfulness awareness can change the way we speak and listen, enhance our relationships, and help us achieve our goals.

Chapman highlights five key elements of mindful communication—silence, mirroring, encouraging, discerning, and responding—that make it possible for us to listen more deeply to others and to develop greater clarity and confidence about how to respond.

Other topics include

• identifying your communication patterns and habits;
• uncovering the hidden fears that often sabotage communication;
• staying open in the midst of difficult conversations so that we can respond wisely and skillfully;
• and learning how mindful communication can help us to become more truthful, compassionate, and flexible in our relationships. 
  

News & Reviews

“In a clear and at times humorous style this encouraging book gives our heart the green light to open. Susan Chapman presents accessible practices from Buddhism and the best in psychology to help this happen.”

—David Richo, author of Coming Home to Who You Are

“This is an invaluable resource for anyone who longs for connection with others. Susan Chapman’s simple explanations and engaging stories provide us with practical tools that let us recognize our shared humanity, moving us from a ‘me-first’ approach to a ‘we-first’ one.”

—Karen Kissel Wegela, author of The Courage to Be Present and What Really Helps

The more conscious we become, the more we deepen our relationship to the words we use so that we speak from a place of actually feeling what we are saying. We begin to recognize that words are powerful transmitters of feeling.

• Practice noticing how the words you say and hear affect your body and your emotional state. 
• Notice how the different communication styles of the people in your life make you feel. 
• Watch closely to see how your own words come out and what affect they have on the people around you.

When we carefully listen to others before we speak, our words have more integrity, and when we take time to center ourselves before speaking, we truly begin to harness the power of speech. Then our words can be intelligent messengers of healing and light, transmitting deep and positive feelings to those who receive them.

Words Have Weight

BY MADISYN TAYLOR

The wild and mesmerizing waves of the rugged California coast, endlessly crashing and surging over rocks and shoreline — Zen Ocean.

Recent British studies have confirmed that views of the ocean and other blue spaces make us happier than other landscapes. Perhaps it’s the feelings of awe and wonder when we look out upon oceans and blue water. Gazing at the ocean is theorized to release a mix of dopamine, oxytocin, and endorphins.

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