Like a lot of people of my generation, my first exposure to meditation was through Zen. Following the instructions of the teacher, I sat on a cushion with my spine straight and a downward focus. I following the rhythm of my breathing and returned to the breath whenever thoughts intruded. Practicing Zen proved OK for awhile, but after awhile I began to crave something more. It didn’t take me long to learn that there were as many forms of meditation or spiritual exercise as there were physical exercises. One example involves the manner and direction of breathing. Focusing downward towards the solar plexus, results in grounding or a focus on the practical. Focusing on the heart stimulates compassion. Focusing upward tends to open up intuition. Adding other elements, such as visualization, mantra and breathing in a circular fashion – all of these produce different results. This Wednesday, September 30th, we’ll learn and practice two distinctly different forms of meditation: tonglen, which helps the practitioner awaken compassion; and a form of Tantric meditation, which encourages the practitioner to experience the sacredness of all of life. We’ll also learn the Ignatian practice of the Examin, that invites us to find the movement of the Spirit in all the people and events of our day. The Spiritual Practice Exploration will be held at 7-10 pm ET on Wednesday September 30th (check your time zone here). To register or learn more about the facilitators, visit the event page.
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