What deep listening unlocks for me, by Henry Shukman

<p>As a boy in Oxford, Henry Shukman seeks refuge from a painful childhood by disappearing into poetry, immersing himself in nature. But the beauty and clarity he finds there is only fleeting. A series of visits with a mysterious old family friend help him to understand that experiencing beauty — and its extraordinary gifts — doesn’t have to be a chance encounter. In fact, it could become a guiding principle of his life. Through listening deeply, she shows him how to unlock beauty at every moment.</p><p>Listen to David Whyte’s episode of Meditative Story, "We become the places we love": <a href="http://listen.meditativestory.com/DavidWhyte_WW" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">http://listen.meditativestory.com/DavidWhyte_WW</a></p><p>Henry Shukman is a Zen Master in the Sanbo Zen lineage and is the Spiritual Director at <a href="https://www.mountaincloud.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Mountain Cloud Zen Center</a>, and co-director of the Rio Grande Mindfulness Institute. Before this, he taught poetry at the Institute of American Indian Arts and Oxford Brookes University. He has written several award-winning books of poetry and fiction, including the memoir <a href="https://www.amazon.com/One-Blade-Grass-Finding-Memoir/dp/1640092625/?tag=offsitoftimfe-20" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>One Blade of Grass: Finding the Old Road of the Heart</em></a>. His new meditation program, <a href="http://originallove.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Original Love</a>, offers a broad, inclusive path of practice. </p><p>Read the transcript for this story at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.meditativestory.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.meditativestory.com</a></p><p>Sign up for the Meditative Story weekly newsletter:&nbsp;<a href="http://eepurl.com/gyDGgD" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">http://eepurl.com/gyDGgD</a></p><p>Each episode of Meditative Story combines the emotional pull of first-person storytelling with immersive music and gentle mi