Man in the Zendō

With two days to go, I’ve decided it’s time to promo my latest project. The International Moment of Meditation. What is it? A half-hour-long drop in meditation session starting at 7PM CET (6PM GMT) on Saturday 20th December.

What does this have to do with a man who’s positively impacted my life? Well, the central theme is meditation. I remember the first time I walked into a zendō as if it were yesterday. It was, in fact, a few weeks ago. I’d been interested in meditation for a long time, and I knew, in theory, how it worked, but I had never gone to a zen centre before. I was there for an open day, where people with no knowledge of Zen Buddhism could learn the basics and meditate for around 40 minutes (two twenty-minute sessions).

The sensei there was a man we’ll call… Mark. He was a teacher in further education. He had a teacherly vibe. He explained the basics of what we were there to do and then his assistant helped us find the correct postures to sit in. I chose the wrong posture. I would learn that later on.

After the first twenty minutes of meditation, my feet were numb. I had been sitting with all my weight on them, and I have a considerable amount of weight. The bell had sounded and now it was time for everyone to stand up and face each other.

‘Iris, don’t stand up if you’re not ready,’ Mark said to me.

He could see my floppy feet trying to find the ground. I kept mashing my toes on my meditation mat, trying to work out how to stand. Everyone else stood up. I sat on the ground, waiting for the blood to return to my feet. It was a painful process, both physically and in terms of embarrassment. 

Eventually I could stand. I could join in with walking meditation.

‘Are you all right, Iris?’

‘I’m fine,’ I said.

It was that small moment of concern that had a positive impact on my life. Mark the sensei wanted to make sure I wouldn’t collapse like a falling tree. I felt safe and grounded. It’s small moments like this that matter to people. No matter how embarrassing it was at the time, it was good to know that I could sit down while everyone else was standing up. It was good to know that I could go at my own pace.

So, that’s it. That’s the story of how a man positively impacted my life. I could probably dig up more if you gave me time, but this was the one about meditation. And it can lead me on to the subject I wanted to talk to you about all along: the International Moment of Meditation.

What is it? A moment of meditation. Whether you can join for thirty minutes or three, it’s all right by me.

When is it? Saturday 20th December 7PM CET / 6PM GMT / 1PM EST / 10AM PST

Where’s the Zoom link? There isn’t one. We’re connecting in the ethereal realms. We don’t need technology for that!

Join! Tell your friends. Share about it on social media. If you want, you can let me know what you thought of the experience (no pressure). I’m really looking forward to this one.