Mindfulness

Destination: Mid-Valley Regional Library, North Hills

Cost: Gas only

I’ll commence this post with the clarity and serenity achieved after an hour of zen breathing practice.

(Photo from the web)

I’ve noticed the LA Public Library System offers a variety of events, and was pleased to discover that there’s a free beginning meditation class at the North Hills branch on Wednesday evenings. The library website provides phone and email contacts to register – so I sent an email asking if it was okay to drop in. Jay at Won-Buddhism Valley quickly got back to me and said “Just show up at 5 pm with comfortable clothing.” And so I did.

In our modern world, the gong sound comes from a smart phone – but it worked and in the opening meditation I was able to relax quickly. We then circled the room in a walking meditation for about 15 minutes, noticing the weight of our legs and the pressure of our feet on the floor, alternately. The gentle snores of a few classmates accompanied the next reclining meditation. The balance of the session was in seated mindfulness, as we became aware of our breath and body sensations. How strange to have a hot flash in the middle of this and concentrate fully on every aspect of the flush of heat and subsidence.

I’ve had some experience meditating, but usually commit for twenty minutes or so. This hour of breath-focus was like a mini-vacation and I came away with a clear head. To exit the meeting room into a library full of books with a fully functioning mind was a real treat. I picked up a scholarly tome on David Bowie and read about how Bo Diddly, Keith Richards, and Marc Bolan influenced his work in the 70’s. Relaxation and stretching exercises for the brain.