meditation

I meditate every morning right when I wake up, and every night as I'm lying in bed. Isn't that weird? I'm still getting accustomed, though I love it, to this new lifestyle of more rest and less stress. I follow the CD but one day I would like to be able to sit alone in a quiet room and meditate on my own. I found out about Green Gulch Farm Zen Center just over the GG bridge in Marin and I've been dreaming of visiting as soon as possible. The Sunday program includes a meditation instruction and then an hour of practice followed by a Dharma talk, then tea, a lecture and lunch. There are hiking trails that lead down to Muir Beach and I hear it's just a real slice of zen heaven. And it's well before the winding, scary road down to Stinson ( most important fact).

I'm learning that staying present and in the moment is not something that you can wait for, it must be practiced. And what if you never used a muscle ever before, ever. Even the thought of that sounds painful, but that's how I see being mindful. It's necessary for a better life, but it's really hard to do because I've never done it before. And I've learned that meditation isn't for everyone. At first I was all preachy about it because I couldn't imagine being stuck in my thoughts anymore and isn't everyone lost in thought and the past and the future all the time. I was, I thought it was how the brain worked, I didn't think it could be different.

Especially coming from a no-religion, no-church background I find something unsettling about a group meditation, dharma talk and lecture, but I need to be open and learn what I can, and if anything, it will be worth the adventure and endless green.