As some solace in the midst of the never-ending cold of this past winter, I joined a drop-in weekly meditation group. I continue to go almost every week, where for 45 minutes we sit together to meditate. At the midpoint of the session someone reads a contemplative piece that we discuss over tea afterwards. I have been practicing meditation for years and the key word is practicing. One of the most difficult parts for me is actually sitting down to do it. The group approach is perfect for maintaining a weekly practice that I try to augment with daily sessions at home. I enjoy meditation on my own but for me the real magic is when I meditate in a group. The sense of community is so important to me and I really enjoy the informal discussions of the weekly reading. Most of all, the time seems to pass quicker when I meditate in a group in large part because the energy of everyone sitting around me is absolutely magical.
Meditation on a Grapefruit
By Craig Arnold
To wake when all is possible
before the agitations of the day
have gripped you
To come to the kitchen
and peel a little basketball
for breakfast
To tear the husk
like cotton padding a cloud of oil
misting out of its pinprick pores
clean and sharp as pepper
To ease
each pale pink section out of its case
so carefully without breaking
a single pearly cell
To slide each piece
into a cold blue china bowl
the juice pooling until the whole
fruit is divided from its skin
and only then to eat
so sweet
a discipline
precisely pointless a devout
involvement of the hands and senses
a pause a little emptiness
each year harder to live within
each year harder to live without
XOXO Rachel
Wondrance 