Meditation

This week we practiced Vipassana meditation in class following a lecture and videos about divine sex and yoga, as well as harmful yoga practices such as Bhuti yoga that can potentially injure the person doing the yoga. I have to admit it was very hard to get into a meditative mindset after that lecture, and the ensuing lecture from the visiting teacher did not make it easier. During the meditation the professor sought out to serve as a guide through a guided practice. The guided mediation is good for most people as it helps them concentrate, gives them something to focus on and easily bring them back should their minds wander. For me though, it distracted my concentration and I had to tune it out in order to focus, and I ended up counting my breaths and focusing on my breathing. My mind wandered a lot during that as well, so it could have just been an off day, who knows. Vipassana is a sacred practice to me when I adopted it into my life for a solid year or so when I had an interest in meditating and Buddhism. I started out with meditation before I got into yoga then got lazy with it, and I usually cheat with it now and just sit for a little bit at the beginning of a yoga routine, to get the luxury of doing both at once. Great for concentration, and a great practice to look inward and see what is really there, view without judgement or conceivable bias. I was surprised to learn in class that a real Vipassana "retreat", or program is actually ten days. I did not know that prior to class, but it inspires me to try Vipassana for ten days straight, something I have not done.