“There is a lot of stillness that I ask people to sit in when I’m making their portrait….. (Tintype photography) slowed me down. It made me more present when I was taking images, instead of kind of hitting a button over and over again.”
~ Carla Rodriguez
conversation skills you will practice:
- stillness
- deep listening
- attentiveness
- being present
STILLNESS: Slowing Down and Being Present
Download Activity PDF1
LISTEN
To help you develop comfort with stillness and experience what you are more attentive to when you’re still, we invite you to listen to the following guided meditation (10 minutes).
2
JOURNAL PROMPTS
- As you listened to the meditation, how did it feel to be still?
- How did stillness influence your ability to focus your attention?
- What is your relationship with stillness?
- How might having a regular practice of stillness – taking time each day (even as little as three minutes) to sit in silence and focus on your breath – allow you to hone this level of attention?
1
LISTEN
To help you develop comfort with stillness and experience what you are more attentive to when you’re still, we invite you to listen to the following guided meditation (10 minutes).
2
JOURNAL PROMPTS
- As you listened to the meditation, how did it feel to be still?
- How did stillness influence your ability to focus your attention?
- What is your relationship with stillness?
- How might having a regular practice of stillness – taking time each day (even as little as three minutes) to sit in silence and focus on your breath – allow you to hone this level of attention?
Want to do more with this activity? If so, add the next steps.
3
Invite a friend to listen to the meditation and complete the reflections above. Share your responses with one another. What did you find similar or different in your reflections?
4
Sit in stillness everyday (three minutes or more) for a week, connecting with your breath and noticing what you hear – both internally and in your environment. After the week, reflect on how you listen, how you hear, how you direct your attention, and how you observe as you move throughout your day. What changes do you notice from the first time you listened to the meditation?
3
Invite a friend to listen to the meditation and complete the reflections above. Share your responses with one another. What did you find similar or different in your reflections?
4
Sit in stillness everyday (three minutes or more) for a week, connecting with your breath and noticing what you hear – both internally and in your environment. After the week, reflect on how you listen, how you hear, how you direct your attention, and how you observe as you move throughout your day. What changes do you notice from the first time you listened to the meditation?
CONVERSATION CONSIDERATIONS
How might practicing stillness, becoming attentive and listening deeply to what is happening within you and around you affect your ability to stay present and aware when an interaction becomes difficult?
