Running away from silence

Have you ever closed your eyes to try to meditate just to realize that even taking a few breaths with your eyes closed makes you want to run away from the experience?

This was me a few years ago.

My introduction to meditation was in New York City over 15 years ago. The meditation classes felt intense. Anything that involved silence and stillness felt uncomfortable.

It was after I did my first yoga teacher training that I started attending meditation classes more regularly. It was then when I learned how having the right posture for meditation makes the experience of seated meditation a little easier.

I knew all along that meditation was good practice for me although I have had to overcome inner resistance along the way.

I thought I would never arrive at a place where I could enjoy the silence and being still. 

I am not implying that this is easy each time, but I have come a long way.

Meditation can bring you "face to face" with your thoughts. 

For someone who tends to overthink, this could feel overwhelming, at least until you start learning how to allow the thoughts to pass by instead of clinging on to them. 

Practice and consistency over time, has had a cumulative effect. 

I remember a couple of years ago; I attended a one-day silent meditation workshop in Paris. We were silent throughout the day while the instructor led us through different mindful practices. 

During the lunch break, everyone went to the small garden and ate in silence. 

This would have triggered me to be self-conscious years before, but that day, I felt at ease with silence.

I found a perfect spot, sat on a bench, mindfully ate my lunch, and sat to meditate. In all my attempts to meditate before I had never felt as much ease as that day.

I was outdoors. It was a calm and peaceful spring day in Paris. My mind was at ease. I focused on my breath and the sensations of feeling the warmth of the sun on my skin. The gentle sounds of the light wind and the birds chirping next to me. My posture was comfortable. I had nowhere else to be in that moment. The thoughts appeared and I let them pass. I kept returning to my breathing. 

I stayed there until the instructor told us it was time to continue with the next part of the session.

It is not always easy to find the ease that I experienced that day, but I know it is possible. 

The more I practice mindful walking outdoors and the more I train my attention to be in the present moment, I am better able to hold on to the “here “ and “now” for a little longer.

In the mindful walking sessions that I have been leading this is exactly what I want to share, how you can mindfully transition from doing into being with more ease, one breath at a time. 

I know that for most of us this is not easy, but it is doable. Having group support and the beautiful nature around us makes it a step easier.

Next Morning Mindful Walk in Paris

November 17, 2019