Remembering Listening activity for February 2022

I am uploading my response a little late. This week (last week) I made a point to listen more intently to everything that is around me. The majority of the time I hear children ask me questions. And when I realize that fact it gives me some anxiety to sit with the fact that my response will shape their experience not just with education but in terms of what they heard for the day. Having a toddler to go home to and be asked questions and commands also made me realize that to be the best teacher and best mother I can be, I truly need to be intentional about what I listen to. I realized that my feelings of being overwhelmed can be reduced a bit by listening and engaging in a balance of auditory experiences. I feel like living in New York City is a lot to deal with, especially with the noise pollution and the "honking", "whizzing" and "buzzing energy" making you feel this sense that you have to be doing something and you going to miss out.

So this week I decided to start a ritual of listening to podcasts that are conducive to growth in the morning, my gospel music, binaural beats, and my great-grandmother's voice while in the car. I do not play all of these things at once but depending on how I am feeling I choose from this basket of beats, and select a mood that gives me ease not edge. I spend a lot of time commuting to work and then school and then home so I want to use this time as a de-stressful time and I will say that it has worked. When I get my daughter, I feel lighter and less irritated. I am not thinking of the many tasks I have to do but rather I feel like I was listening in on a conversation. The moments when I needed silence I tried to focus on my breath and I felt the stress melt in my upper back and I was able to breathe deeper and unwind. Listening is such an art and isolating sounds in certain environments can be very meditative and restoring. I plan to keep this intentional listening practice to encourage me to slow down when I need to.