This weekend, while I was feeling under the weather with a bad cold, the thought of staying home on a steamy hot day, just didn't sound very comforting or inspiring.
Who would think a long commute to the Pasadena Convention Center would be such an uplifiting experience when battling a sore throat, coughing, sneezing and lethargy?
I knew I was in the right place when I saw the Walking Labyrinth. Putting one foot in front of the other, I felt more calm, content and had a little more hootzpa. I love this form of mediation because the path is clear - there are no dead-ends or tricky, misleading turns. Sure the path winds back and forth and around, but if you pay attention, it is easy.
This lead me to the Zen Sand Tray. I've been familiar with the concept but not with the actual symbolism behind it. The patterns you create can help you understand more about yourself and your relationship to others. For example, rocks can represent land formations while sand may represent water. Or you are free to attach other meaning - choosing rocks to be representative of friends and family. The rake patterns are like water ripples affecting everything in its wake - showing an interconnectedness betweeen all things. It is said that the sand tray will quiet your mind. I found that I was drawn to raking a completely new pattern, erasing all before me - and although it may sound like I wasn't playing nicely in the sandbox, I felt calm knowing that life is about change - nothing stays that same - and soon the next person would rearrange my design just like waves over a sand castle. To me, that is the beauty of the Sand Tray.
The next type of meditation was Stone Balancing. I always admired stone stacking monuments in Hawaii but never knew what they meant. At the Fair, it was said that stone balancing teaches "spiritual qualities and the process itself is a metaphor for the way we live our lives...discover more about what balance is and how to achieve it." For me, I was drawn to selecting 6 large rocks and placing them front and center on the table. The rocks were not perfectly snug in their arrangement and there was a little wiggle when pushed on either side but still they stood strong. For me, this represented my family. I chose the big rocks because we are big people. I chose 6 because there are 6 members. It suprised me a little later on when I thought more about it, since my father passed away awhile ago. Without even thinking, he is still here and still very much alive in my mind. This was a very good exercise for me.
The next experience for me was a drumming circle. Boy was that FUN! There is a lot of joy in this acitivity and it sure gets any negative emotions out as you pound the drum. Soon there is only positive energy and a lot of smiling and laughing. I found I was a little timid at first but by the end, had lost my inhibitions and felt very happy.
This lead me to listening to the reggae band before heading home. I had a wonderful day - flopped on the bed, exhausted from stretching my physical limits with the cold/flu and feeling very gratified.
I'm always interested to hear comments from readers - and if any of you have thoughts or experiences regarding these various types of meditation, please feel free to write a comment.
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