Technique 1.140 Mindful Speech (Improving Communications)

Introduction

The aim of the exercise is to improve your communication skills through practising mindful, purposeful speaking, ie thinking before speaking.

It is a reflective process.

This is linked with mindful listening.

Step 1 - Inform the group about the exercise, ie thinking before speaking

Step 2 - Participants to pair up to start a brief conversation practising mindful speech
     i) in each pair, decide who will be the speaker and who will be the listener

     ii) speaker chooses a topic for a couple of minutes of conversation

     iii) slow down and connect to the present moment by taking a breath, ie a deliberate pause

     iv) speaker to
"...check in with what you are about to say, and why you have chosen to say this out of everything you could say at the moment. What is your motivation for your chosen words? What is your gut feeling saying to you?..."
Lucinda Poole, 2023

    v) "...after you have spoken, pause again and check in with yourself. What did you feel as you were saying that? Did it come out as intended? How did the other person receive what you said and what was his or her response?..."
Lucinda Poole, 2023

Step 3 - After the conversation, speaker reflects by answering the following questions:

"...- How did it feel to speak mindfully compared with how you normally speak?
     - Did what you say come out as intended?
     - How did the other person respond?
     - How do you feel now?..."
Lucinda Poole, 2023

Step 4 - The pair swaps roles and restarts at step 2 ii)

Step 5 - Record what you have learnt from the exercise.