Meditation class

I went to an introductory class on embodied meditation last night. Meditation is always something that I have been curious about, and have tried in different forms for many years. The practice of meditation exists in unison with mindfulness, or living mindfully.

And those who know me best, know that my mind is NEVER silent - commonly referred to as the "monkey mind". My goal in meditation is to find calm, balance, and to learn to call my mind back to the present moment.

Meditation isn't about thinking of nothing - it is about staying with the breath and staying in the present. Acknowledging, accepting, and noticing what is around you and in you. And it is hard to do.

My meditation guide, James, kept insisting that "you need to give the mind something to do." Last night, James had us students try and "stay with your breath" for 3 whole breaths. James says, if you can do that, you are doing really well. I made it for 1.5 before I heard the guys stomach gurgling next to me and a creak in the building and I was off wondering about those noises, completely removed from my concentration on feeling my breath move through me, hearing it, being it. I'm a novice, I'll take the 1.5 breath concentration as "I'm doing alright."

We also practiced body scanning, which is a really great way to relax your muscles. Try this:

Right now, tell yourself to tune into your hands - feel your hands. Can you do it? Can you feel every buzz, sensation, temperature, pressure, vibration?

I was happy to learn that I am pretty darn good at body scanning. I am able to tune into different parts of my body quite quick and deeply. This is something that I attribute to my yoga practice as well the many years that my sister & I would listen to Spinoza Bear cassette tapes as were falling asleep. Thanks, mom! (For you parents out there, these are great for kids.)

James is a big believer in Tai Chi in his practice; something I've been intrigued in but always thought looked silly, to be perfectly honest. He calmly led us through a very simple Tai Chi movement. I was amazed at the peace I felt - so much so that I'm going to try and find a Tai Chi class to really try it out. James believes that meditative practices that are using movement are easier to start with then "sitting", because...it gives the mind something to do.

What I have been missing is actually making meditation and mindfulness a practice in my life and part of my wellness lifestyle. I am planning to head to the MN Zen Center this month to check out a beginners session, and get myself on the road to practicing mindfulness in my everyday life.