Listening In: Dialogues with the Wiser Self

By Sandy Boucher

Now and then a book becomes a companion, going along on plane rides and camping trips, offering comfort when the world seems overwhelming, good to read at night before going to sleep. Listening In has become such a friend for me.

Written by spiritual counselor and healer Ellen Meredith, the book speaks with the voice of her own inner teachers, suggesting how we might broaden our perspective and change our behavior to reflect more of our authentic nature. This expansion of consciousness is the most helpful, hopeful and healing dimension of Listening In. It allows a spaciousness to open around any question. Meredith lifts us out of the constricted, problematic view that traps us when we are disturbed or uncertain, and places us in a wider, deeper context. With her wise guidance, we are able to view any particular difficulty in proportion to the relatively vast expanse of our self and its possibilities. Often, while reading this book, I feel as if the windows have been opened and I am being invited to draw fresh air into my lungs.

Using the metaphor of nature's round of growth, death and rebirth, Listening In begins with a description of our human nature, offering illuminating perspectives on how we interact with self and other, how we move in the world to achieve our desires. At the beginning of each section and interspersed in the text are guided meditations called "groundings." We become a seed cradled in the earth, we are immersed in warm water, we are asked to hold our own bodies comfortingly. These inner journeys give the opportunity to expand the insights of the book into emotional, physical and psychic realms.

"Taking Root," the second part of the book, offers responses to basic life-questions--about relationships, careers, futures. In a rich, thoughtful chapter called "Love," Meredith discusses the necessity for self-love, the qualities of different kinds of relationships, the many ways of loving. "The Turning Wheel of Change" chapter addresses our need to move on in our lives, to use our creative capacities, launch new projects, discover and live from our full potential. Here, besides offering guidance in personal transformation, Meredith also addresses issues of social activism and global change.

Listening In guides the reader to pay attention to her or his "wiser self," to look to one's own deep inner place of knowing for information and guidance, rather than to an outside authority. Well written, sometimes whimsical, never pompous or insistent, the book encourages the reader in the development of a broad, intelligent, gentle perspective.

Some people I know keep this book nearby to dip into when they have a question or concern, almost as a divination tool, finding that just about any page can shed light on the challenges of the day just finished or the one to come. Listening In, like meditation, creates a large, roomy, well-lit context in which to view oneself. This is its genius and its contribution.

Sandy Boucher is the author of Turning the Wheel: American Women Creating the New Buddhism

Listening In: Dialogues with the Wiser Self, by Ellen Meredith, can be ordered through bookstores, by calling 1 (800) 442-6304(Beyond Words Bookstore), or through
Online Purchasing

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