Many people deal with stress and internal conflict. Meditation is a tool to resolve both, but it is a broad topic, especially in the West. Like other Eastern practices, yoga being the most common, meditation has been watered down and Westernized. The origins of meditation are as spiritual as the origins of yoga, they just aren’t as revered or reverenced by the typical American.
In my spiritual experience, I’ve attempted to go to the origins of these ancient and even sacred practices. I’ve studied Kundalini yoga as taught by Yogi Bhajan, wearing a turban and all white. I’ve also completed the Transcendental Meditation training as brought to the west by Maharishi Mahesh. But before I did either of these practices, I sat at the foot of a former Buddhist Monk.
I don’t think I ever would have approached the Monk if it hadn’t been for two things: 1) A client sharing that I needed to explore Mindfulness and 2) a non-coincidental encounter with my former 12-step sponsor.
Did you know that Mindfulness is a “clinical” term for Buddhism? I was a little shocked when I heard that I was really studying Buddhism from Tara Brach, PhD. It was a client who told me about Tara, a clinical psychologist who practices and teaches mindfulness from its origins. Half-way through Meditation and Psychotherapy: A Professional Training Course for Integrating Mindfulness into Clinical Practice on Audible, I discovered I’d been learning Buddhist principles all along. I wouldn’t have gone looking for Buddhism, in fact, if I’d known that’s what Mindfulness originated from, I may not have purchased the course. But a higher being had a higher purpose in mind.
This cosmic orchestration evolved further when I was out walking on a river trail one day. Going in the opposite direction was a woman I hadn’t seen in twelve years. My 12-Step sponsor had aged a little, but more noticeable than the grey hair was her presence. She and I took 5-minutes to catch up, as we headed in our opposite directions. But she mentioned two things: 1) She’d returned from following a master around in Tibet, the well-known Thich Nhat Hanh, and 2) she had a monk living in her basement.
The moment she mentioned the Monk in her Basement I knew our encounter had not been by chance. I got her number and learned that he offered consults. As a self-improvement junkie and mental health therapist I was ready for a “consult.” I just didn’t realize how powerful both the principles and the practice would be in guiding the next five years of my life.
to be continued…..
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