May 7th, 2007
Meditation Challenge
This month we are talking about the 30 day challenge. We’ve all done it before, some sort of program, 30-60-90 days. Sometimes we walk away improved. Sometimes we walk away improved temporarily. Sometimes we walk away with nothing. However the truth is, most of the time we don’t even finish. Truth of the matter is change is, challenging…
However, the reality of it is this. It’s rarely the big changes that make the difference. It’s the little course corrections. It’s like sailing across the ocean and being off course by just a degree or two. You are going to end up far away from your intended destination. So many of us are off by just a degree or two. We are almost happy, almost peaceful, almost in touch, but not quite. By the end of the day or the end of the decade we can get very far from our intended destination.
I have a very devoted group of yoga students. They have been with me for years and although I don’t think I’m always the best teacher, they keep coming back. I’ve gotten incredible gratification from watching them develop their practices. I’ve watched those that couldn’t reach their toes stretch gracefully into lotus and we’ve celebrated every milestone like a three year olds birthday. However, the students I’ve seen grow the most, hands down, are the ones that have also developed a meditation practice.
Robin started her practice three years ago. This is a woman who would literally keep a pad and paper with her during class so she could take notes and ask questions after we finished. I’m pretty sure she also made her grocery lists during class, but I decided not to worry about that. Once a month or so I try to introduce a new type of meditation to the class, hoping that with variety, everyone will find something that sticks. Robin was always resistant. In fact if she knew it was going to be a meditation class she would skip. One warm Spring day I took the class down to a park a couple of blocks away and asked them to lay in the grass and watch the clouds for half an hour. When the timer went off, everyone was happy and relaxed, but Robin looked almost surreal. She appeared on the spot to be about five years younger and everyone noticed it. I’m guessing Robin hadn’t relaxed for half an hour since she was maybe five years old.
Soon after, due to a death in the family Robin inherited a seven year old boy. Her scheduled changed and I saw her in class less and less frequently, but I saw her after work at the park often. A week or so ago I ran into her at the grocery. She actually chased after me in the parking lot to stop me to talk. “I have never told you that I honestly believe I owe you my life.” she said a little winded, “I would have never considered a few minutes in the park after work a meditation, but it is. That meditation has changed me. I don’t think I would have been able to survive the transition when we got Jayden if I hadn’t started that. I know I wouldn’t have been a good mother for him. That little bit of time I take everyday changed everything.”
And you know what? It does. Just a little bit of time changes everything. Meditation isn’t always what you think it is. It doesn’t have to be a rigid practice, sitting cross legged, humming. It can be. Meditation can be anything that works for you – anything that creates space in your day and uplifts your spirit. My sister is a high school teacher. She spends a half an hour a day listening to piano students practice. It would drive me crazy, but for her it’s blissful, so it works.
My challenge to you is to experiment and find a way to practice meditation. Find a way to set yourself free for at least a half hour daily. If you try sitting cross legged on the floor humming and it doesn’t work, try flying a kite. Miracles happen in meditation. It’s a small course correction, but it will bring you back on track in no time at all.
Lisa
