meditation made obvious
“Before practice, theory is useless. After practice, theory is obvious.”
– Mickey Hart
Hellllloooooo Practitioners,
That quote pretty much sums up my experience with meditation. I don’t really “teach” meditation because I didn’t really “learn” meditation. I experienced it. In groups. And that made all the difference.
You see, I’m a fire type. I love movement.
“Rest” is a long walk in the woods.
“Unwinding” is reading or studying.
“Fun” is a cold plunge or mountain climb.
“Entertainment” is yard games, salsa dancing, house projects.
In other words, sitting still does not come naturally. Despite this, meditation has become a sacred rhythm. I did have to “get my wiggles out” with years of asana practice before it was available. And when it came, I needed the anchoring of community. Then, breakthroughs rolled in like waves.
The first breakthrough was when I was staying with my yoga big sister. Katherine had just gotten back from her first Vipassana retreat and she was lit up. Her energy and enthusiasm inspired a group of us to start sitting for an hour in the mornings. Yes, an hour. At 6am. And yes, that was absolutely way too much for me... if I was alone. But in a group, there was a gravitas that made 60 minutes feel like 6.
Between our group sits, I started a solo practice. Often after asana. An hour felt like eternity. So through thoughtful experiment I found 12-15 minutes was what I could maintain consistently. More than 13 years later, this is still my sweet spot….
The next breakthrough came during a retreat. Again, with a group, meditation felt easy. The teacher used visualization techniques and my minds eye popped open. A different dimension of perception became available. I still receive revelation through imagery during meditation.
The last breakthrough I’ll share is less spectacular but more sweet. I was attending the morning sessions of Pete Guinosso’s Teacher Training. I would drive from Marin to Berkeley for a 3 hour practice every two weeks. There was an hour of meditation and then asana practice. Again, the group brought a gravity that made the hour seem light and breezy. The long, strong, physical practice following demonstrated how meditation altered me physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.
Here is the important point: I didn’t need information about meditation. I needed impactful experience. Then it wasn’t just another activity. It had aliveness and authenticity. It didn’t feel like discipline. It felt like opportunity.
And I try not to miss that opportunity. Especially when I “don’t have time” which has been most days for the last 4 months. During this time of transition, practice has been my tightrope. Keeping me clear and confident while I put one foot in front of the other.
And when I say “practice”, I mean more than postures. Much more. Yes, movement is a part of it, but I savor the stillness of meditation, prayer, and breathing. I deliberately build resilience. I consciously carve out time for inspiration and reflection. These points: movement, stillness, resilience/poise, and inspiration/reflection create a multi-dimensional practice (more on that soon.)
We’ll use this multi-dimensional model for practice during the Ground of Being retreat. Moving and breathing in community has a palpable energy. Meditation in a group is supremely grounding. There will be ways to practice poise. An abundance of inspiration. And time built in for reflection. Retreats are where you infuse your practice with aliveness that can grow for years or decades to come. There are a few spots left. Hit reply to email me directly if you have questions or get more info and register here.
May your practice be obvious,
Alison
