I’ve always viewed meditation as, well, kind of boring. I knew that there were tons of positive
psychological and health effects related to meditation. But I barely have time to exercise and eat
right. In an ideal world I would
meditate…but in an ideal world, I would also floss regularly, clean my
baseboards, and not crave McDonald’s french fries when I’m stressed.
Despite my admittedly low expectations, this month has been
incredibly interesting. I’m not necessarily
getting the most out of it (more on this in a later post) but it’s forced me do
some things that are completely and utterly out of my comfort zone.
One would assume that mediation is meditation is
meditation. NOPE. I tried three different classes and my
experience with each one was radically different.
As a disclaimer, I’m
describing my experience of these classes with the understanding that just
because something didn’t work for me, it doesn’t mean it’s not a good fit for someone else. I found all
of these through the very elaborate method of Googling “meditation St. Louis”
and picking three with times and dates that work for me.
Class 1: The Meditation Lounge, The Healing
Arts Center
This one was located in the basement of a strip mall off of
Manchester. The Healing Arts Center does
mostly Reiki, I believe. I used the
bathroom before the class started and instead of soap, there was salt.
I did eventually locate the hand soap.
The meditation room was large, with no windows and an altar
at the front. There were a variety of
jewel-colored cushions and blankets set up on the floor, with a choice to have your back against the wall if
necessary. There were about 8 other
participants, male and female, ranging in age from late 20s to early 40s. It was the first time there for about three
of us.
The woman that led the class sat with a variety of large
crystals surrounding her mat, including a crystal ball in her lap. There was incense. At the end of the class, she mentioned that
she was a clairaudient and clairvoyant Spiritual Consultant.
That probably paints a very specific picture of this
meditation, but you know what? I liked
it. It was a 40-minute guided meditation
with visualization, with the guide suggesting step by step of what to picture. Every once in a while, a phrase would
trigger my inner eye roll and I would have to force myself to not get hung up
on it. Despite this not being my scene, I still dug it.
Cost: $10. Would
recommend for: Someone that has a high tolerance for hippies and wants to
try meditation in a low pressure way.
Class 2: The Zen
House
This is located in a Webster Groves residential neighborhood. It's a Soto Zen center. The
introductory class is focused on people interested in learning more about
Buddhism and meditation; plus, it’s a required experience for
students taking college level comparative religious courses.
Before the class, you are sent a ton of material, covering
everything from Soto temple etiquette to background reading about sitting zazen
and learning more about Buddhism. I read
it all.
As I was reading, I stumbled upon this quote. “Fathom the unfathomed
state. How do you fathom the unfathomed state? Fathomless! Such is the
essential art of zazen.” It was at that
point that I realized I probably stop reading and just try it.
There were only two other people in this class, one computer
programmer and one student. You leave your shoes outside in an enclosed porch, and let yourself into the house. There are two adjacent rooms with black cushions set on the floor. You begin in the first room, with a younger Buddhist monk (student monk? I'm not sure of his title) giving an introduction to
Buddhism and Zen meditation. You then move to the adjacent room, and the abbot/Reverend
of the Missouri Zen Center joins the group and leads a 20-minute meditation.
Unlike the other meditation class or even the apps that I’ve
been trying, this was done in total silence.
Facing a blank white wall. It was right at dusk, so the light in the
room got progressively lower. It felt
purer, in some ways, as I had to actively manage my mind when it wandered. It was also a lot more difficult.
After the meditation, the Buddhist monk talked a little more
about Zen and answered questions. I understand about a third of what he explained, mostly because I
know so little about Buddhism. A couple bits of this evening still stick out to me, and I keep thinking about them. I think I'm going to do it again some time. While Buddhism isn't necessarily for me, I do think that the method of meditation is worth pursing.
Cost: Suggested $10
donation. Would recommend for: Someone interested in the religious side of
meditation or interested in Buddhism. Or
anyone open to trying something completely new.
Class 3: Sahaja
Meditation
This class is held at the St. Louis Public Library. That alone makes it automatically a bit awkward-- lots of background noise of doors slamming and kids crying. There was only one other participant that
day.
We sat on plastic chairs in a rather sterile meeting room. The guide lead us through a
series of exercises designed to balance your energy. It was a lot of touching your different
chakras and quietly saying things like, “I forgive myself.” Then you are supposed to place your hand
about an inch from the top of your head and see if you felt warm or cold air
or anything. The guide was also avidly
interested if we felt anything in our hands.
While the guide was super nice and you can tell it worked
for him, at one point I was convinced that he was going to have me pat my head
and rub my stomach at the same time.
Cost: Suggested
$10 donation, but he didn’t take my money.
Would recommend for: Someone
not that interested in the breathing side of meditation but interested in a
convoluted routine? Sorry, I’m not
selling this one very well. I guess
checking in with your body and taking time to go slow is good for anyone.
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