RALPH at Beacon Hill Park, Victoria, British Columbia, Vancouver Island
This blog is for the average Joe and Joni, like myself, who is interested in learning more about Mindful Meditation to help deal with the stresses and issues of Everyday Life. My passion is teaching and writing about meditation in a form that is understandable and suitable for the modern Western person, whose life is often engulfed with responsibilities, busyness and stress.
A dear friend and meditator asked me what I hoped to contribute in my writing. After all, she said, there are many experienced, skilled and inspirational teachers of Mindful Meditation (many of whom will be credited, with links, in this blog). It must have been a good question, because it took about 6 months to find the answer.
Mindful Meditation is about becoming personally aware of the numerous joys and sorrows of one’s life as they become apparent in the present moment. What I can contribute is simple; a personal reflection of my relationship to mindfulness. I hope it to be an honest account of the barriers I come against (all in my own mind, of course) and how being mindful helps me become connected to myself, others and the world around me in a heartfelt manner. As a teacher of meditation, I hope to also reflect the inspirations that I continually learn from my students.
Like many people, my road towards a meditation practice was a circuitous route. For many years after finishing tai chi, I would sit down to meditate, although I was never quite sure what I was doing. The simple act of paying attention to my breathing in a quiet manner was certainly relaxing, and there was nothing wrong with that. I never took the step towards either finding a teacher or making a commitment to a daily practice. It happened when it happened, and that was that. In the 1980’s I incorporated breathing exercises into my psychotherapy practice, as I noticed that when clients were able to find some piece and calmness, they were much better able to deal with whatever issues were facing them.
By the end of 2001 I was too ill with Lyme Disease to continue working, and after feeling frustrated with what the medical system was offering, went on a healing journey that eventually brought me to a Buddhist temple in Northern Thailand; Wat Ram Poeng. Under the guidance of some amazing monks and nuns, I learned the basics of Vipassana Meditation. Also known as Mindful Meditation, it means having clear insight into the patterns of one’s life, moment by moment, and offers ways of responding in a calm manner to daily pressures and struggles that is part of the nature of life.
In essence, mindfulness is being in love with life in full awareness. Combined with gentle Yoga and Qi Gong (awakening mind, body and energy) Meditation improves health, relaxation and concentration, with a sense of vibrant well-being. In my classes I teach simple steps that anybody can begin practicing for as little as 5 minutes a day.
This blog is dedicated to those of you who would like to join a community of meditators, on whatever level fits for you. Please enjoy the posts and I look forward to your comments.
