Not long ago, I taught a lunch time meditation class at a company in Boston. There were 20+ people in the room, and only 3 had practiced meditation in the past. I had a room full of beginners.
I had 60 minutes with them and knew we would sit quietly for about 15 to 20 minutes. For beginners, that’s more than enough. I explained the basics – what we would do, what to expect, things that might happen. I explained there was nothing to be afraid of and that we would not be sitting for 60 minutes. There was a huge sigh of relief throughout the room. I answered questions and then guided them into a meditation.
The class did very well – not a lot of fidgeting, no one walked out and at the end people seemed very relaxed. I received a lot of great feedback from participants as they were leaving the room.
The best feedback I received, however, was the following week. One of the young women who participated in the class ran a road race over the weekend that followed the class. She emailed to tell me she meditated prior to the race. The end result? She was the first female to cross the finish line! She credits it to her meditation. That is a true success story.
I already know meditation and sitting quietly works (for me) as a method to manage stress, stay focused and feel more relaxed during my day. But don’t just take my word for it, experience it for yourself. I was told once not to believe what anyone says unless I had a personal experience with the activity. That said, I invite you to explore this practice of sitting and breathing (meditation) and decide for yourself whether it works. Remember to be patient!
Have you experienced results from meditation or a sitting practice? Tell me about them.
- Stacey Shipman, M.Ed, Let it Flow
