First Entry

This is actually my first journal entry, I wrote it on paper and never added it to the blog:

I found it a bit funny that meditation was requested in class considering I had just tried it the day before. Having this been my second time meditating, I continued to listen to my mind ramble. I focus on my breath, which makes me realize that I breath from natural habit, but I can choose not to breath. Also, I can breath in many different ways. I am always thinking of something. I noticed after meditating, physical movement feels different; forced, awkward, irregular.

In class

Meditating in class today was a nice reminder of what meditating does for the mind. I admit I am most definitely slacking in the completive journal now that finals are approaching. Even though the experience was short, it was a nice change of the normal meditation, and it was also nice to be given time to meditate. Having the teachers voice guide the meditation was also interesting, I know most people probably think it was 'lame' but if you give it the effort it is worth it. I liked the concept of taking energy from the earth into by body through the feet. The concept of being 'containers' for air and breath, being connected to the earth; it was a nice topic to put on the mind while meditating.

In the Darkness

It had been a while since I last meditated, too long really, with the semester starting to close, I've simply had other things on my mind. Part of it is because I don't have any good places to really meditate, it's too cold. Eventually I forced myself to finally meditate. I found a quite place in my house after hours, turned off all the lights, and in the darkness I sat and meditated for 15 minutes. Meditating in darkness is a bit different than doing it outside in my usual places. I usually like looking at my surroundings randomly during my sessions. But now it was darkness, it was all quiet. I kept my focus on my breathing and on my posture, I tried more specifically to not think about anything, but to just exist. After the meditation I decided that it was time to lay down and I wanted to see if it was easy to fall asleep after meditating. (I normally have some insomnia problems) -Turns out that sleeping on an open mind doesn't help. Too bad.

Getting Shady

When I went home for Fall break I decided to visit the meadow down by my creek that I spent so much time at my freshman summer of 2007. I spent my entire summer down there clearing out weeds and brush, making room for a fire pit and place to spend time with friends, which I did frequently. It became a place I liked to call "Shady Grove," and it became my "special place." After that summer, with no one to maintain Shady Grove, the weeds grew back and the area became the meadow that it used to be, it was no longer the Shady Grove I knew so well. Every time I come back home for a visit, I always go down there to see it. When I visited it this Fall Break I decided that it would be the perfect place to meditate. I headed over to my favorite reflecting spot, a group of large roots that hung over the creak like a nature-made hammock, it really is quite a beautiful place to be. I sat there for 20 minutes and meditated. As I meditated I realized how much this place meant to me. The natural setting is so soothing, I felt as if I could have sat there for ever. For one, I've always found natural settings to be peaceful. I have also found meditation to be incredibly relaxing. When I put the both of them together I got a great experience, it was wonderful. Too bad that cold weather is going to start limiting my location for meditation.