Path no.

Mindful listening

When you learn to listen everything is your teacher

Donate

Loading David’s radio voice...

↓ Skip to

Key Insights Practice Reflection Reminder Go deeper Community

Key insights

Key insight

Mindful listening is an embodied practice you can acquire and cultivate. Listening well is a wonderful way to show up for someone. It’s an act of love and inspires trust.

Key insight

You can foster 3 different levels of mindful listening:

‍

1. Listening for yourself (i.e. when you’re learning mode).

2. Listening to others and the world around you—feeling empathy for others and listening with no agenda.

3. The most advanced level is intuitive listening, which involves also listening to what *isn’t* being said, as well as listening with love, less judgment, and an open heart.

Practice

Mindful listening

Now it’s time to try the mindful listening techniques David described.

After putting away objects that may distract you (like your cell phone or laptop), set your intention to listen mindfully to someone you will interact with today.

Show up for them by staying curious, listening without judgment, and feeling empathy about their perspective.

Before responding, remember you can always take a breath and a mindful pause.

Reflections

How often do you feel you really listen deeply to others?

What’s the quality of your listening overall—shallow, deep, restless?

How would it change your relationships if you made mindful listening a regular practice?

Reminder

“Deep listening is a great gift to offer to the world.”

Deep listening inspires trust. But to listen mindfully means letting go of a fundemental self-centeredness. We have to be willing to put down our own thoughts, views, and feelings to truly listen. Listening is a heartfelt practice that can provide support and comfort for someone else. Everybody loves to be listened to, it's universal.

Print out or download a sticky note of this reminder and place it somewhere you can look at regularly.

Community

Come practice with us

Monthly mindfulness workshops
Every month, David hosts a mindfulness meditation workshop on Nectara. Join the next one and come deepen your mindfulness practice.

Book a session with David

Get direct support from David—a mindfulness teacher with 20+ years of experience—and gain additional support and clarity about what truly matters to you. Book a complimentary call with him on Nectara.

Walk your journey with us

Are you looking for a safe and intimate community space to share your healing story, deepen your practice, and connect with others? Join Nectara’s Circle, our psychedelic wellness support community.

Mindful extras

For a deeper dive

If you’re wanting to take a deeper dive with David about mindfulness, check out these curated resources he’s created or selected for you:

“Listening” by Jean Valentine:

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/podcasts/75642/listening

In comparison to mindful listening, here’s a comedic example, “Arthur 2 Sheds Jackson,” of bad listening by the British sketch comedy troupe, Monty Python:

Join us tomorrow for a micro lesson in mantras and how to create a powerful one for yourself.

Support our work

Thank you

We are making this resource accessible to more folks with a pay what you can model. Did you find this part of the journey useful to you? Consider donating to David and Nectara for our time and energy so that we can create more resources for the psychedelic community.

Part of the proceeds will go to a lineage and organization David has learned and practiced meditation with for 20 years:
Paramahansa Yogananda's Self-Realization Fellowship

Donate

We recognize that some of our work is based on the unceded lands of Indigenous peoples. We are grateful to be hosted on their territories. We acknowledge that the work of reconciliation with Indigenous Nations has a long road ahead and we are commited to doing our part in contributing to meaningful change, action, and personal growth.

The services provided by Nectara are intended to be for harm reduction purposes only. They are not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Nectara guides are not licensed healthcare providers and do not provide medical care or psychotherapy services. By engaging in the services provided by Nectara guides, you expressly acknowledge and agree that the services are provided on an as-is and as-available basis, and that your use of or reliance upon the services and any content or material contained therein is at your sole risk and discretion. Nectara guides and the legal entity shall not be held responsible or liable for any harm, legal claims, or illegal activity arising out of your use of the services or reliance upon any content or material contained therein.

Due to legal reasons, we do not accept any clients or business from people based in Indonesia.

Terms and Conditions

Submit feedback

Every day is a ceremony

When you learn to listen everything is your teacher

Key insights

Practice

Mindful listening

Reflections

Reminder

Community

Come practice with us

Mindful extras

For a deeper dive

Support our work

Thank you

Find a guide

Community

Podcast

Events

Learn