I am interested in my mind.”, this statement conjured up so very many things the days before our weekly gathering and even still today several days following. Then reading the passage from “Why I Sit” by Paul Fleishman, brought to mind many more things about nature, about our human nature, about meditating, about why we as individuals do any number of many things we do and also about taking care of our bodies and our hearts and minds by being present with ourselves as well as with others. As is the usual case, the nature of the Wednesday evening gatherings at the Mehta Family Home, this coming together of mindful, thoughtful and heart felt individuals was as colorful and profound as Mr. Fleishman’s eloquent prose.
As the mic rounded the room, people spoke of why they choose to meditate: for clarity, for peace in their hearts and minds, to recharge, to connect with their inner self, to connect with nature, to learn more about themselves and to better understand themselves and others.
Others spoke about our very natures as individuals and as a species and comparing ourselves to the snow goose that innately knows it must migrate with the change of season. The comparison came with the fact that as humans we have choice. The choice to find quiet within that in practice allows us to be better connected with ourselves and with each other and with the world around us. The choice of inward reflection affording us the internal resources to assess situations with better clarity, to be able to have compassion and understanding of ourselves and others, and to find the joy in our connections and in our everyday.
A common thought this evening was that as humans we are born with this ability to find quiet within and to understand and have compassion and understanding for ourselves and others. Several people shared stories of their children and of themselves as younger people and the how naturally we seemed to do these things but as life becomes more full or we become more involved in living we loose touch with this ability.
For me discovering meditation and recognizing my desire for seeking quiet within , is a gift from Maddie, my oldest daughter. Maddie introduced me to meditation when she was 8 years old (she’s now 14!) as she was enjoying doing this in class with her second grade teacher Mrs. Gillies. Maddie invited me to create a sacred space in our home and to sit with her and meditate. At 8 my daughter was where I desire to be right this minute in my 40‘s! I learn so many things from Maddie that I, as my friends shared this evening, practiced and “knew” when I was a kid. I feel blessed in so many ways, mostly that one of my most favorite people, who I’ve thought I would be teaching about life and living, wonderfully teaches me every day about loving, acceptance, understanding and compassion.
I sit to nurture myself and to recharge this mind and body of mine because I am also interested in this mind of mine.
On Oct 25, 2009 susan bradley wrote :
I am interested in my mind.”, this statement conjured up so very many things the days before our weekly gathering and even still today several days following. Then reading the passage from “Why I Sit” by Paul Fleishman, brought to mind many more things about nature, about our human nature, about meditating, about why we as individuals do any number of many things we do and also about taking care of our bodies and our hearts and minds by being present with ourselves as well as with others. As is the usual case, the nature of the Wednesday evening gatherings at the Mehta Family Home, this coming together of mindful, thoughtful and heart felt individuals was as colorful and profound as Mr. Fleishman’s eloquent prose.
As the mic rounded the room, people spoke of why they choose to meditate: for clarity, for peace in their hearts and minds, to recharge, to connect with their inner self, to connect with nature, to learn more about themselves and to better understand themselves and others.
Others spoke about our very natures as individuals and as a species and comparing ourselves to the snow goose that innately knows it must migrate with the change of season. The comparison came with the fact that as humans we have choice. The choice to find quiet within that in practice allows us to be better connected with ourselves and with each other and with the world around us. The choice of inward reflection affording us the internal resources to assess situations with better clarity, to be able to have compassion and understanding of ourselves and others, and to find the joy in our connections and in our everyday.
A common thought this evening was that as humans we are born with this ability to find quiet within and to understand and have compassion and understanding for ourselves and others. Several people shared stories of their children and of themselves as younger people and the how naturally we seemed to do these things but as life becomes more full or we become more involved in living we loose touch with this ability.
For me discovering meditation and recognizing my desire for seeking quiet within , is a gift from Maddie, my oldest daughter. Maddie introduced me to meditation when she was 8 years old (she’s now 14!) as she was enjoying doing this in class with her second grade teacher Mrs. Gillies. Maddie invited me to create a sacred space in our home and to sit with her and meditate. At 8 my daughter was where I desire to be right this minute in my 40‘s! I learn so many things from Maddie that I, as my friends shared this evening, practiced and “knew” when I was a kid. I feel blessed in so many ways, mostly that one of my most favorite people, who I’ve thought I would be teaching about life and living, wonderfully teaches me every day about loving, acceptance, understanding and compassion.
I sit to nurture myself and to recharge this mind and body of mine because I am also interested in this mind of mine.