I knew that the simple act of listening, in an empathic way, could have a profound effect. – Sophie Andrews
One of the intentions of Council Practice is to Listen from the Heart.
This beautiful intention, as simple as it sounds, is rarely done. In our day to day lives rarely do we stop what we are doing, look at the person who is speaking and listen. Often when we listen, we think about our to do list, our similar stories, our advice or even a follow up question or answer. In some cases we even interrupt or rush the speaker to wrap up what they are saying.
We know the importance of self-care like getting a good night sleep, exercising, eating well, getting massages etc. One aspect of self-care that we don’t think about or may not even see as self-care is our relationships. Relationships are important to our well-being. If we do not have true friendships, a close friend or close circle of friends, i.e. people who have taken the time to truly see us and get to know us, we feel alone.
Cigna partnered with Ipsos to survey 20,000 people in the U.S. Their report titled, Cigna’s 2018 U.S. Loneliness Index, found that “46 percent of Americans report feeling lonely sometimes or always, and 47 percent report feeling left out sometimes or always. […] 43 percent, report feeling isolated from others, and the same number report feeling the lack of companionship and their relationships lack meaning.”(Lardieri, 2018) Going further, “27 percent of Americans rarely feel or never feel like there are people who understand them.” (Lardieri, 2018)
HeartSpace Circle was created to bridge the gap between isolation and connection. We believe that a healthy community stems from individuals that have a sense of belonging and well-being.
In her TedMed talk, The Best Way to Help Is Often Just to Listen, Sophie Andrews addresses the importances of listening and knows that this simple, yet meaningful act, can even save a life.
If you are interested in experiencing Council, your in luck! Our next event on May 25th is a Council + Yoga Nidra. See our event page for more info.
Heartspace Circle 