For the past month and a half I have been going to a meditation class every Wednesday. You may be wondering, “Why meditation?” Like all other things in our world meditation is stigmatised as being religious or some form of voodoo.
This perception has been created by people who have never even practiced it. This is something that annoys me with society. People have forgotten how to use the most powerful tool known to man, the power of thought and more importantly how to think for your self. We are fast becoming puppets controlled by external influences when the real power exists internally.
As long as you are unable to access the power of the Now, every emotional pain that you experience leaves behind a residue of pain that lives on in you.
- Eckhart Tolle –
I love that quote from a brilliant book I read called ‘The power of now’ by Eckhart Tolle. This book highlighted to me the importance of quieting the mind from all the ‘noise’ around us. In order to access the ‘power of now’ in my life I thought that learning meditation would be a good start.
So every Wednesday night I have the same routine which I really enjoy. I walk to Smith St and catch the tram to my class into the city. To me there is something relaxing about taking public transport.
I find myself being an observer of time and space while I watch life pass me by in a soundtrack (I always keep my iPod playing). Each individual has his/her unique agenda and I love watching as some of it unfolds around me.
The meditation classes are guided by teacher Peter Douglas. I must admit that I was a little nervous the first time I went to a class. I did not know what to expect, but when I walked into the room and met Peter for the first time I noticed a calmness about him which left me thinking, “I want what he has got!”
The classes I have attended so far have taught me a few techniques on how to quiet my mind. As Peter puts it, when we think it is generally about the past or the future. What we try to achieve in meditation is finding the present or the ‘now’.
When you hold your focus on the ‘now’ you realise that you are always in control. When you stay in the present, thoughts of negativity simply dissolve and positive thinking can be regained.
We live in a world surrounded with negativity which makes it hard to escape looking at life through a negative lens. Keeping in mind Monday night’s game I believe a practise like this is very suitable to regain focus.
As you will find out in the upcoming weeks I love seeing people creatively and individually express themselves. As a new friend of mine Sakiya Sandifer says “great minds don’t think alike, they think for themselves”.
I have a great appreciation for artistic expression and as I got off my tram on the way home I saw some street art which caught my eye so I took a photo of it for you too see. You may not think it’s that special, but to me creative expression like this is why I love living (even if it is as simple as this).
For more about meditation see http://bourkestreetmeditation.com.au/
Sakiya Sandifer
Best selling author of ‘think think think and think again’. Co- author with Kanye West ‘Thank you and your welcome’. Sakiya started the website http://thethinkmovement.com/ Keep posted as he will soon feature in 'Harry’s World'
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