Zen Mode Engage!

            This feels really nice… In the simplest words, that is how I would describe the contemplative practices in class. But behind the simplicity there is a pleasant status of peace and maybe even momentary nirvana that is achieved if all distractions can be cleared mentally.

            Before we begin the meditations, I do my best to empty my mind which sounds a bit more difficult than it seems. Whether it be me thinking of what my plans are for the rest of the day or that annoying song that’s stuck in my mind, it can be tough. What helps, however, is concentrating on not only the sound of my breath, but also the feeling of taking the breath- the expansion and collapse of the chest while the nostrils intake fresh oxygen refreshing the mind as it circulates to find its exit through mouth.

            For this certain experience, after I cleared my mind and began to hear the classical music, a story began to unfold in my mind. As I heard the violin and then the piano, the tempo of which it began with to the change of tempo in the climax until it finished and slowly drowned out to conclude the story, I visualized a beautiful struggle. There’s no exact story line or precise plot to the story, except a creative image that develops due to the music. It was uplifting because my mind was empty, yet full at the same time.

            After the meditative session was done and the music stopped, I felt fresh. I felt as though I was able to view the material from that day from a different view point. I guess with more intrigue and interest. There are moments in class where I’ll get distracted and lose focus by thoughts that begin to penetrate my psyche. But that day after that particular meditation, I noticed I wasn’t really deterring from my focus on the material. So, I thought to myself, maybe I should try doing that before all my classes or maybe before anything where I feel as though I might need an extra edge. Listen to classical music while clearing my mind. I do enjoy listening to the piano and other peaceful instruments, yet the combination of the two creates something bigger…