Meditation 101

Although I've written a bit about meditation, I really know very little about it. I've learned as much as I can from reading books but I need some formal instruction to go to the next level. I am fortunate that one of the best meditation courses in the country is taught in my own back yard – the Stress Reduction Program at the UMass Medical Center in Worcester. This is the program started by Jon Kabat-Zinn, author of Full Catastrophe Living and meditation master to the Chicago Bulls and the Los Angeles Lakers.

Last week I attended an information session for the course. It covered logistics mostly – when classes are held, what to wear, whether Blue Cross covers the costs. However, the instructor did lead the group through a brief guided meditation in which we were directed to close or lower our eyes and focus our awareness on the room around us, the sensations in our bodies, our breathing. We then talked about what we experienced. Most of the people there said how relaxed they felt. I mainly experienced the noise from the ventilation fan.

Anyway, I did sign up for the course and will no doubt have more to say about it in the weeks to come.