Active listening is an important part of communication skills. Listening is more than hearing to what is being said. Active listening is a skill which needs to be developed by contstant practice.
Our brain is actively involved in listening to understand not just meaning of words but the feeling and emotions and non verbal responses involved in it.
An example of active listening would be listening to your favourite music where not only the words are understood but also the emotions captured.
"Active Listening is a process in which the listener takes the responsibility to understand the content and feeling of what is being said and then checks with the speaker if he/he heard the same that the speaker intented to say".