Today my 5 year old son woke up and came upstairs right before I began today’s meditation. It was a joy to see him and I didn’t want to ask him to leave and find Dad so I could do my meditation alone. So, I asked him if he’d like to try it with me. The only “rule” we set up was that we would not talk out loud to one another during the meditation. We would listen to the directions and do what we felt we wanted to do when hearing the instructions. In full transparency, a part of me felt this would be a disaster. I like my quiet time and value time that I get to be alone…but I felt something different today…I was curious, and trusting. So we sat, we listened, we stood up, we began walking, each in our own unique way. Aware of ourselves, our bodies and also each other.
I couldn’t help but notice how playful his walking was, fast, then slow, then R E A L L Y S L O W … … …then he walked and tumbled playfully to the ground and got right back up and walked again. Sometimes he stopped and just watched me. In contrast, my walking was focused, deliberate, serious, constant. I followed the instructions carefully…slow down, notice legs, notice foot falls. It was beautiful, all of it. The juxtaposition – neither of us right or wrong, each of us having our own unique experience while experiencing our bodies moving in space. And being aware of my son in his own walking meditation and me in mine and the juxtaposition of energy: me, focused, tight, aligned within the guide rails, him: flowing, playful, impromptu. They were both beautiful experiences and observing the vast array of possibility and the range that we all have available (that is sometimes easy to forget) is a stunning gift in this life. I’m curious. What would it be like to welcome in different energies in meditation? Perhaps the ones that are out of my normal pattern of approach? Curious, so curious. 🙂
