Meditation Workshop

In so many ways it feels like America is falling apart at it's seams, the ways that we are tied together as a community of Americans sharing the same soil and air space, but bitterness and resentment is all we feel for our neighbors who see the world through a different lens. And yet, I find that at least in some pockets of this country there are folks who really let all that stuff go. The spiritual folks who may adhere strongly to their beliefs but those who leave space and find a way to love those neighbors who have different ideas about which way is up.

Thursday was a snow day here, and I grabbed my new yoga mat and headed to yoga class. My teacher, Mary, was one I've never had before, and she was a gem. I didn't practice yoga much in Paris, I didn't really feel connected to the community and the style and it was super pricey, so I just shelved it. Whenever you're away from whatever is your 'center", your "home" you return and you feel a little guilt and awkwardness coming back. I was feeling a little of that, I was out of shape and I knew that I might struggle a little to feel the flow, maybe a little intimidated by the class regulars whose poses didn't need a bit of adjustment but Mary made it feel like a welcome home party. She didn't have us do endless cycles of downward dog and she was always using these great phrases that put smiles on my face. I can't wait to go back. That's what I dig about the states, everywhere I've ever taken a yoga class it's been welcoming, joyful and positive. I think it speaks volumes that a place like the states with our culture of fast food and vitriolic politics and general dumping and abuse on the environment that we can get this so right.

Mary announced at the beginning of her class that she was having a meditation workshop Saturday and I decided I was going to attend. Sylvain started talking about meditation when we moved to Chile, he's not a yoga kind of guy but he has a really open mind and so I asked him to come and we made it a date. In Chile I got some instruction from my cousin Ken and tried doing some meditation there but it wasn't a hugely successful attempt. For a week or so I made it work but I didn't really know how to get into, to find my own style. Sitting on a cushion was relaxing and I like to have some time to let go of the worldly stuff, but I wasn't feeling drawn to it. Later I realized with a little help from my friend Shirley that meditation doesn't have to just be sitting on a cushion, she told me to go take a walk, move.

But I wanted to get comfortable with the cushion too and I had a feeling Mary would be a big help, because I sort of felt lost doing it on my own. One of the reasons I like going to yoga classes is that sort of vibration of likeminded folks all working together, in college the fusion of energy in the art studio was really inspiring and today was no different, 15 or 16 folks in a circle all trying to achieve something alone together sitting on a cushion and sharing with each other the humility of that struggle. I just think American's do this so well, we are eager and non-judgemental about this kind of stuff, sharing intimate stories, being vulnerable and kind with one another.