One of the major influences of the Zen Cave was the story about a West Baltimore school that replaced detention with meditation. I remember the CNN story on the West Baltimore elementary school quoted a student that said, " I did some deep breathing, had a little snack, and I got myself together...Then I apologized to my class." This blew me away! Having worked with many young humans I know well the mental health and community situations that plaque majority of them. I had been going through some seriously rough mental and emotional situations around this time myself and figure if kids can do it, so can I. So I began trying to meditate a minimum of 15-minutes a day. Initially, it had to be in a quiet place and guided with either music or someone speaking. But after a few months, I was able to meditate unassisted almost anywhere! In the middle of an office building, parking lot or even while in traffic without closing my eyes (yes, I am a safe driver). The biggest epiphany I found was that breathing matters more than anything else in meditation. How you govern or pay attention to your breathing determines how swiftly you can get into a meditative flow. Yes, quiet places, the right guidance or sounds can enhance your meditative state, but the real practical application of meditation lies in the ability of your breathing to calm and center yourself down. Imagine, simply by learning how to breath a bit more intentionally you could channel anger, pain, or even anxiety up and out of yourself. Now 2 years strong with meditation its a whole new ball game. I am learning new techniques, comfortably challenging my ability to remain calm, and even proactively avoiding certain vibrations. #SpideySenseLit.
Sometimes it's amazing what we learn from the young folks ;-)
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