… om mani padme hum …

I’ve just finished a six-week beginners’ meditation course. I missed two weeks in the middle, but it was a great experience. My aim at the start was to try to be better at relaxing, to try to slow the rush of thought that constantly flows through my brain.

I don’t know that that’s exactly what will happen. I feel, having completed the classes, that the goal should be somewhat different: still to try to be better at relaxing, but not so much to slow the rush of thought, but harness it, to be aware of it, and to let it pass if I don’t want to tap it, and to draw from it when I want to. And not let it overwhelm when there are just too many.

The challenge now might well be to see if I can keep it up. There are lots of things I do that I’m more conscious actually count as meditating, and that has been good to realise. But making some form of meditation a deliberate and regular part of my day or week will be key.

Last thing, literally: we ended the course with everyone in the group chanting om together for 10 minutes. I think it took a lot for some people in the group to agree to that. But the vocal harmony happened naturally, without anyone needing to do anything special or be in any particular key, and the calm unison in the room caused me to break out in smile every so often. Simply brilliant.

Image: Christopher J Fynn