Attunement and the power of Inner Listening
Written by Terence Gilbey
We are approaching the start of the autumn season and enjoying the late summer sunshine and daylight. It has been just a few months since we launched the new, educational Findhorn Foundation SCIO, and we are thrilled by the progress we have made toward our vision of helping people embody the Sacred in everyday life, honour each other, and co-create wisely and lovingly with all life. We continue to receive good news from the west coast of Scotland, where the feedback from our Spirit of Iona is quite positive and uplifting. As one recent participant shared,
“I was overwhelmed, in a good way, with the power of ‘inner listening’. Our days were so undistracted and spacious that I was able to actually tune in to the quiet voice inside and connect with my own intuition and knowing.
Even more, I am amazed at how it felt to practise ‘attunement’ to make decisions – every time I did that I ended up with a completely unexpected outcome (from what my mind might have guided me toward) that felt so right in my heart and in my body. When I really trusted my inner knowing, I didn’t have doubts or worries, I just knew everything was working out for me. Truly something that has changed my life!”
The practice of Inner Listening is one of the three core principles that shapes the ethos and mindset of the Findhorn Foundation. It was over 60 years ago that one of our founders, Eileen Caddy, first heard an inner voice speak to her; a powerful moment that would shape a lifetime dedicated to listening to the ‘still, small voice within’. As British psychologist, author and personal growth teacher Robert Holden writes, “She [Eileen] taught us that there is an inner guidance mechanism in each of us – an ‘inner ding’ as Louise Hay called it – that can help us live an inspired life.” To me, an inspired life is one that accesses the infinite capacities and knowledge available to us within to be more connected, generative, optimistic and calm. It is a life lived in purpose and fulfilment.
Within the Findhorn Foundation, we do not necessarily believe in one ‘right’ meditation method or framework for connecting to one’s inner knowing, nor do we define precisely what it is. We encourage each person to find a path to their own guidance in a way that resonates with their beliefs and view of the world. People may find their inner voice through sitting quietly, yoga poses, being in nature, or even working. What is important is consciously choosing to listen, finding a way to connect with your intuition and the Sacred within, and then acting on the inspiration that emerges.
At the Findhorn Foundation we most often practise inner listening through a period of silent or guided meditation. We have found that in today’s frenetic and fast-paced world, we are better able to hear the subtle vibrations within when we quiet the noise without. Eileen herself taught that, “All you have to do is be still and take time to seek for what is within, and you will surely find it.”
Traigh Bhan Sanctuary, Iona
Over the past few days I have been reflecting on just how loud our day-to-day lives are. It’s almost as if the more disconnected we become, the more literal and figurative noise we create which drowns-out our unconscious, emotional, physical, and spiritual intelligence. The constant demands of change, the bottomless download of information, and the general disruptions in our lives leaves us focused so intently on the immediate that we miss out on the essential. As such, we cannot hear the still, small voice inside, nor do we listen for it. We miss out on the wisdom whispering to us from our hearts, bodies, minds, and Spirit. Musing on this brought to mind a Hindu parable I read many years ago:
A saint was visiting the river Ganges to bathe and found a group of family members on the banks, shouting in anger at each other. He turned to his disciples and asked, “Why do people in anger shout at each other?”
The disciples thought for a while, and then one of them said, “Because we lose our calm, so we shout.”
“But why should you shout when the other person is right next to you? You can just as well tell them what you have to say in a soft manner,” said the saint.
The disciples offered additional answers but none satisfied the question.
Finally the saint explained, “When two people are angry at each other, their hearts distance a lot. To cover that vast distance they must shout to be able to hear each other. The angrier they are, the stronger they will have to shout to hear each other to cover that great distance between their hearts.
What happens when two people fall in love? They don't shout at each other but talk softly, because their hearts are very close. The distance between them is either nonexistent or very small …”
The saint continued, “When they love each other even more, what happens? They do not speak, but only whisper and get even closer to each other in their love. Finally they need not even whisper, they only look at each other and that's all. That is how close two people are when they love each other.”
He looked at his disciples and said, “So when you argue, do not let your hearts get distant, do not say words that distance each other more, or else there will come a day when the distance is so great that you will not find the path to return.”
This parable is using an example of the interplay between people and how our negative emotions create distance between our hearts. Yet I’m feeling that maybe this lesson can also be applied to our relationship with the Spirit inside of us. There is one major difference, however – our inner wisdom will never shout at us out of anger, or lash out with assertions of blame and guilt to try to span the distance to us and get our attention. Our inner voice is the embodiment of love, so it is always quietly whispering to us in the stillness or comes to us as a gentle resonant ‘knowing’. When our hearts, minds, bodies and spirits are closed off and reactive due to anger, fear, self-righteousness, shame or grief, we simply cannot hear the whispers of our Spirit. And if we are honest, we aren’t really listening.
Erraid Sanctuary
In today’s trauma-and-fear reactive culture, maybe we are filling our lives with more and more noise as we unconsciously shout-out louder to the Universe, hoping to hear something in return. But all the noise just creates more distance and disconnection. It is only when we quiet our minds, settle ourselves, open our hearts and seek higher guidance from a still place of open-heartedness, compassion, and trust that we are able to hear the quiet, loving whispers of Spirit. And in those moments, we will know that all is well, we are supported, and there are infinite possibilities and potential available to us.
