Yogi Bhajan often spoke of the importance of sunni-ai, which
translates as hearing or listening. Its importance and
connotation suggest, “deep listening.” It means hearing the
sounds, the words, the subtlety – all that is below the surface
– at the same time. Sunni-ai is intuition applied to listening.
We practice it when we are still. We practice it as we speak.
Sunni-ai is an act of applied consciousness and alertness. Most
of the time we underestimate the importance of deep listening.
Each word we speak creates our world. Each word we hear informs
and connects us to our world. With deep listening, we can be one
step ahead of the moment. Deep listening, like a radar, senses
the shape and the momentum of the present moment. When we are
listened to, we respect the person who listens. When we listen
carefully, we can read the intention and the conflicts in the
speaker. Listening includes attention to all the senses. We
“hear” the nonverbal messages and “feel” the context of the
communication. “Listening is ver