Some people swear that yoga and meditation are keys that unlock doors to peace, fulfillment and other good things.
I had a chance to experience both yoga and meditation this week.
Of course, the meditation happened smack dab in the middle of an interview. My interviewee was a gentleman with a soft voice and kind eyes who told me, in no uncertain terms, how meditation worked for him.
“I meditate a half an hour to an hour daily,” he told me and I dutifully scribbled the quote in my notebook, thinking, “wow, good for you.”
He then took a small crystal ball off the table and told me to close my eyes and visualize it expanding and growing inside of me.
“Why” I asked, “would I do that?”
“It will just make you feel really good,” he replied simply. “Peaceful.”
I tried. It didn’t work. I didn’t really feel much different, but, then again, I was doing an interview and, I told myself realistically it was neither the time nor place to allow myself to slip into a meditative state no matter how good it made me feel.
But, later over shared stories washed down with coffee and served with these interestingly delicious cookies, I did feel good, so perhaps the magic crystal ball had done its work, after all.
I tried yoga later this week with my daughter.
I had texted her (I’m getting pretty good at texting)
“Lebs du smthg 2gthr” I texted and she texted me back “how about yoga?”
I arrived at the yoga class 15 minutes late, still dressed in my street clothes. The room was dimly lit, with weird music playing and mirrors all over the walls.
I changed quickly, and slipped in beside my daughter, pretending that I had been there all along. I looked at her and noticed she had one leg bent at a weird angle and tucked under her and the other leg stretched out behind her.
I tried to do that, too, but it really, really hurt, so I quit. I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror on the wall and sucked in my tummy and wished they would lower the lights even more.
They didn’t.
The rest of the yoga class consisted of the instructor telling us to slip into these other weird poses, many of which had animal names, and then staying there for an undetermined length of time while we listened to our body.
“Ouch,” my body said. “Quit that.”
Sometime she told us to slip into the child’s pose which I was familiar with because I had seen my grandson accomplish that very pose with great ease that very morning while sucking his thumb.
In the end we were all to lay on our mats, cover ourselves with a blanket and listen to the instructor’s voice take us quietly and peacefully to some other place where there was no worries and things were good.
I tried to go there, but, instead, immediately fell asleep, only to wake up and see everyone rolling up their mats and putting them away.
“We’re done?” I questioned, rubbing my eyes.
I obviously need to work on both yoga and meditation to reap the benefits that await me if I just follow instructions.
But, even though I’m still learning, one thing I know for sure.
Sharing coffee and cookies with a friend and chatting about not very much at all is a good thing.
And, sharing the gift of time with someone who calls you ‘mom’ never, ever grows old.
But, I’m wondering if she would like to try shopping, next time.
I already know how to do that.