Hop Scotch

Meditation helps add to sereneness in life

Date published: 3/1/2007

There's this room where I've been going every day for the past three weeks, on the third floor of the Johnson Center at George Mason University.

I take off my shoes and sit down. To the outside observer, I'm not doing much. However, those 30 minutes are some of the most exciting, adventurous moments of my day. That's because I'm meditating.

For those who don't know, meditation is simply thinking about nothing. You attempt to empty the brain of thoughts and focus only on the slow rhythm of your breath.

It's frightening at first--all those random thoughts begin flopping around nervously like fish out of water. Their presence had accompanied me through most of my conscious life, and it was disorienting to finally give them the boot.

But with persistence, this absence of thought became immensely enjoyable. When I finished my meditation and slipped on my shoes, I would feel like sitting among songbirds and writing haikus.

Several times while meditating I felt almost transcendental. I thought about my consciousness and tried to "get to the bottom of it" so to speak, and I just lapsed into this far-out, mystical experience.

Each meditation is a new adventure, and I've tried pushing myself further out into the abyss of no-thought land every time. I will have a natural high for hours after meditating. Everything is all right with the world, and I want nothing more than to spread goodwill and be patient with people.

It became obvious to the outside eye that things had changed. I was once a wild gesticulator. I talked loudly and expressively: throwing my hands around in the air as I spoke, using huge facial expressions and using many exaggerations in my word choice.

However, I've become the opposite: I am relaxed and quiet. I speak softly and slowly. My hands are usually at my sides, and I phrase things modestly and precisely. The way I carry myself now could be summed up in one word: gentle. What was once "the greatest thing in the history of the world!" is now just "really nice, in my opinion." It's primarily an increase in self-control that has made me less hysterical in my body language and word choice.

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Date published: 3/1/2007