Lessons from the Floor, Volume 1

• My cat LOVES when I meditate.
• TV is the enemy of mindful living.
• It does not take a lot of time to begin to notice the postive effects of zazen.
• The above bullet point is true, even if I only practice three times in two weeks.
• When I focus on my breath, the moment and my posture, I become peace. My cat and my clients have noticed this.
• While practicing, my thoughts/feelings frequently wander to deciding to become a vegetarian.

Okay, so I'm doing my best to not turn this into an apology, as apparently faithfulness to a spiritual practice is a very difficult thing to develop. My previous post asserts that any time dedicated to mindfulness will be fruitful and I have found this to be true. I will continue to move forward with my practice and live with intention.

Experiment: No Attainment with Nothing to Attain

As you, my theoretical reader, may have noticed by now, I am very thinking-oriented when it comes to my spirituality. Unfortunately, everything I've studied about feeling connected to a higher power mentions the importance of actually doing something, not thinking about doing something.

My previous adventures (church, zen center, yoga classes) have all been okay, but unfulfilling. Most likely because I have associated being inconsistent in my practice with feelings of guilt. Also, I keep waiting for something to happen. A new consciousness, speaking in tongues, something. Which is probably why it never "worked".

Well, I'm over that.

I listened to a podcast yesterday that said something to the effect of "any time spent in practice is useful". According to the Heart Sutra, there is nothing to attain in spiritual practice. It is sufficient to just be.

Here's where the experiment part comes in: I would like to spend 20 minutes per day doing some form of religious practice. I would like to rotate the type of practice I do every 28 days. This does not preclude engaging in multiple forms of practice on any given day, I just want to start manifesting a consistent attempt to pursue the divine.

I will start tomorrow. This first 28 days will be dedicated to zazen, or seated meditation. I will write about this on a regular basis.

I am not making a promise here, but I am attempting to set an intention for the next month of my life.

INTENTION:

To approach spirituality in a humble, personal and committed way