Page 14 - Storytelling - Storylistening

IV. Listening: The Silent Half of Reminiscing and Storytelling Activity #1: Reflective Listening – Listening Stick*
This practice is for small groups of no more than six persons and is designed to: a) Give you a profound experience of deep listening to your inner self (your soul) and to the soul of others; b) Create awareness of listening and being listened to; c) Deepen your respect for others, and; d) Develop a sense of community.
1. Find an item to use for your listening stick, such as a marker, a pencil or any small, round object.
2. Arrange chairs in a small circle. Do not sit around a table. It can form a barrier to deep listening. You will find it easier to listen to each other when you are really close together—knee to knee.
3. Give the listening stick to the person who will begin the exercise. As a group, choose a question that asks for a personal reflection, such as “What gives you joy?”
4. If you are the person holding the listening stick, state the question by personalizing it: “What gives me joy?”
5. Close your eyes and spend 20-30 seconds in silent reflection on the question. Take your time—this is not about giving an instant answer, it is about accessing your inner wisdom to find your personal response to the question. There is no right or wrong answer—simply your response.
6. Notice your immediate response. Go deeper. Trust your intuition. Allow your inner voice to come through. While you are reflecting on the question, you may notice you have an immediate response. Keep reflecting. There is almost always something at a deeper level. Use the 20-30 second to go inside yourself.
7. Open your eyes. Speak to the group about whatever comes to your mind in response to the question. Take as much time as needed to say what there is to say.
8. When you are finished, reflect again. Go back inside and ask yourself: “What’s the next question that wants to be asked?” It will come to you. This is not a linear exercise, so the question may or may not relate to what you’ve just said. When you reflect on the next question, you may find that something will come up right away. Keep reflecting to see if there’s another question behind it. There may not be, but the process of taking 20-30 seconds will let you know.
Porch Swing SeriesTM Culture Change Workbooks ©Action Pact, Inc.2005-2006 p.10