Meditation
Hmmm… had a VERY good class today. We were in the little room as our karate school is running a summer program. We didn’t turn on the lights – just natural light came in the doorway and peeked through the blinds. There were four of us today: me, Pat, Pat, and Zach. Pat # 1 and I have been doing this for a while; Pat #2 has come to a few classes and today was Zach’s first.
I haven’t been to class for a few weeks. There was no class the week of the Houston trip, and the week after that I was either A) sleeping or B) trapped by The Boy’s plans going afoul. So, it has been a good two weeks since my last class (and maybe longer – I can’t remember for sure). So I was ready for class today, and Sensei did not disappoint.
At the start of class, he announced we were going to focus on meditation today. I was happy to hear that – it’s been awhile since we had a class that focused on mediation and they are ususally just awesome. Since it’s been a few weeks since I’ve done any tai chi, my stress level has been up, so it was a great way to get back into classes.
We only did three exercises for mediation. We lifted up our internal organs; we held the ball; and (gee, I can’t remember what the third one was!) did this third thing… whatever it was. As part of the basics, you have to remember to put the tip of your tongue on the roof of your mouth and breathe through your nose. (Of course, you have to remember to breathe also – which sometimes you can forget!) He timed us – we did each thing for 1 to 2 minutes. It went very quickly – usually it feels like forever, but today it went super quick.
Then he had the new students practice their walking; Pat & I practiced our kicks. As my knees have been bad lately, he told me not to bend too much and concentrate on my balance. After several passes of that, he had us start section one. We were to do it twice, then start section two, and then section three (for me, that meant going as far as I could remember – I’m not quite done learning it yet). But he gave us a special instruction – which I am not supposed to tell anyone. And I’m not going to tell you, either! Let’s just say he told us to visualize something, and that’s what we did.
The first time doing section one was difficult!! I lost my concentration and place several times using the visualization he told us. But it had the interesting effect of making it more… something – I’m not sure how to describe it… tai chi-y, if that makes any sense (and it probably doesn’t!). The second time, using the visualization, I didn’t stumble as much, but it still had that unique feeling to it.
So I started my section two. I feel like I am rusty on my section two and it gets intertwined with my section three. Today I didn’t confuse the sections like I am apt to do, but I did stop a couple of times when I got “stuck” in a move. Sensei gave me the next move or two and then I was on my own again. I had a harder time with the visualization in section two, basically because I was stopping and starting through it. I got through it twice; the second time I didn’t stumble at all. I started my third section, but my mind wasn’t in it and class time was pretty much over, so I didn’t have to get all frustrated trying to get through it.
After class, I felt incredibly energized. It may be because I haven’t been to class in so long, or it could be the type of class we had, or it could be a combination of both.
Anyway, I am a bit conflicted about the next class. Thursday my friend Sally and I are supposed to hang out in the late morning/early afternoon, possibly going on a special shopping trip before I have to pick up The Boy at 3. So, either I won’t get any hours in for work if I go to class OR I can get some hours in if I skip class. Decisions, decisions….