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darren_strangerThe meditation class this morning was really good, starting with the fact that it actually happened. :)
It didn't take place in the shrine room as i'd hoped (i love the look, feel and smell of that place) but in a new shopfront they have just down the road, which will apparently become the site of the new temple in the future. There wasn't much in the room, just cushioned stools on the concrete floor, and a calligraphy banner behind a table with a few bits of equipment for the teacher - a bell, a "wooden fish" and the two foot thwacking stick (the latter just on display for inspiration, so she told us). They had some incense and oil burners there with the same purfume they use in the temple, so that gave an atmosphere a little reminiscent of the shrine room.
We started off just standing still and breathing, while the last few people wandered down from the temple, then we spent quite some time doing t'ai chi exercises to get warmed up and energised. I wish i could remember some of them, but i was struggling just to follow at the time. Hopefully i'll remember a few from the next sessions to practise at home. When we came to the sitting meditation, it was just a simple watching of the breath, after relaxing the body from head to toe. I often forget about relaxing the body lately when practising at home, then wonder why it's hard to get my mind to settle. I think perhaps skipping that step is not such a good idea. One thing that was different to what i've been doing was exhaling through the mouth, rather than all breathing through the nose. I'll try that at home and see what difference it makes. We sat for a while in silence, then with some relaxing new agey music with cricket and bird sounds etc.
The reverend had quite a bad coughing fit at one point and had to leave the room. I could hear someone else go out after her, probably the volunteer who was helping, but when she was gone for some time i kept wondering whether she was okay and felt an urge to go see, even though rationally i knew continuing on was the sensible thing to do, as that's why she would have left the room in the first place (and what good would me getting up to go see do anyway?). I still found it hard to settle, with a vaguely guilty feeling as if i was being unsympathetic, not caring that someone might be in difficulty, until the reverend came slowly back to her seat at while later, having slipped back in quietly at some time.
After the lesson, i sat chatting to the volunteer lady (i didn't ask her name) for a while back at the temple, while soaking in the atmosphere there. She said it's good to come there before a session and look at the Buddha statue for a while, to take in the mental picture of his face as a model of how we should be in meditation. Dedicating the merit, as i'd had explained to me yesterday, gave some meaningful purpose to making an incense offering there.
I always get a very warm feeling from that place and its people, and i'm glad i finally got to participate in something there. I'm really looking forward to next week (even if the present moment is probably where i should be).
It didn't take place in the shrine room as i'd hoped (i love the look, feel and smell of that place) but in a new shopfront they have just down the road, which will apparently become the site of the new temple in the future. There wasn't much in the room, just cushioned stools on the concrete floor, and a calligraphy banner behind a table with a few bits of equipment for the teacher - a bell, a "wooden fish" and the two foot thwacking stick (the latter just on display for inspiration, so she told us). They had some incense and oil burners there with the same purfume they use in the temple, so that gave an atmosphere a little reminiscent of the shrine room.
We started off just standing still and breathing, while the last few people wandered down from the temple, then we spent quite some time doing t'ai chi exercises to get warmed up and energised. I wish i could remember some of them, but i was struggling just to follow at the time. Hopefully i'll remember a few from the next sessions to practise at home. When we came to the sitting meditation, it was just a simple watching of the breath, after relaxing the body from head to toe. I often forget about relaxing the body lately when practising at home, then wonder why it's hard to get my mind to settle. I think perhaps skipping that step is not such a good idea. One thing that was different to what i've been doing was exhaling through the mouth, rather than all breathing through the nose. I'll try that at home and see what difference it makes. We sat for a while in silence, then with some relaxing new agey music with cricket and bird sounds etc.
The reverend had quite a bad coughing fit at one point and had to leave the room. I could hear someone else go out after her, probably the volunteer who was helping, but when she was gone for some time i kept wondering whether she was okay and felt an urge to go see, even though rationally i knew continuing on was the sensible thing to do, as that's why she would have left the room in the first place (and what good would me getting up to go see do anyway?). I still found it hard to settle, with a vaguely guilty feeling as if i was being unsympathetic, not caring that someone might be in difficulty, until the reverend came slowly back to her seat at while later, having slipped back in quietly at some time.
After the lesson, i sat chatting to the volunteer lady (i didn't ask her name) for a while back at the temple, while soaking in the atmosphere there. She said it's good to come there before a session and look at the Buddha statue for a while, to take in the mental picture of his face as a model of how we should be in meditation. Dedicating the merit, as i'd had explained to me yesterday, gave some meaningful purpose to making an incense offering there.
I always get a very warm feeling from that place and its people, and i'm glad i finally got to participate in something there. I'm really looking forward to next week (even if the present moment is probably where i should be).
