I’m waiting in the queue for a teacher at one of our boys’ school’s parents’ evening. 40 minutes so far and counting (it’ll be at least another 40 mins I reckon).
I use the word ‘queue’ (very) lightly too as we are in Italy, where you arrive at a ‘queue’ and have to ask ‘chi e l’ultima?’, ‘who’s the last here?’ and you then just know who’s in front of you and nothing else. I’m somewhat anxious now about that person leaving. Then I’d be lost, and so would the people behind me.
So I’m using this waiting time to meditate (and it helps soothe the above anxiety).
I do this – I meditate anywhere given half (or less) a chance.
This is not me. I don’t meditate on busy roads. Or airport runways. Or whilst using heavy machinery.
My meditation practice is drawn from Qigong (the Chinese energy art) – and it has the advantage of, as well as calming your mind, getting your ‘qi’ energy to circulate.
And it feels FANTASTIC. Yes, I’m now feeling fantastic in this brief pause to write this to you.
I’ve just been doing standing practice, though you can do it sitting (or lying) too.
I’m going to send you a few emails over the next week sharing some gorgeous Qigong meditation exercises… it’ll be some of the stuff that I’ll be teaching on my F**k It Qigong retreat on Stromboli in July.
But let me start with this idea:
MEDITATION IS NOT DIFFICULT.
I say that, because most of you will think it is.
Its level of ease depends entirely on how you define it for yourself. So don’t define it as achieving a constant state of deep calm.
Meditation is simply about being there, in that space, for that time, just watching what’s going on. It’s like going to a football match and sitting in the stands just watching. Except you’re not watching overpaid men kick a ball around a field. You’re watching what’s going on for you… how your body feels, what thoughts you’re having.
It helps to close your eyes (but it’s not necessary).
And just notice what’s going on. If you get pulled into your thoughts, and get lost in them, you haven’t failed. Just come back to watching.
It’s easy.
Have a go. Anywhere. Anytime.
This is not me either. I’m a man. And I don’t meditate in my underwear looking at concrete walls.
And next time, I’ll start to share some exercises you can do to magnify the effects of such meditation – on your body and mind. I’ll use video shot on the beach of Stromboli too.Yum.
Right, back to the meditating,
Om and out,
John