Archive for the ‘lifestyle’ Category

Everywhere you turn these days you hear about the importance of meditation. How it stills the mind, creates calmness, how your body comes into balance, and how you can get more done in a day just by meditating. Just like I’m able to write this blog post during my hectic day; visiting the multitude of building sites that I operate from and typing this with my two thumbs on my BlackBerry, while driving. Well actually it’s almost midnight and I finished my day job seven hours ago, and my BlackBerry battery is almost flat.

I have been meditating on and off for a while now. More now than ever before. I’m not quiet up to the 4 hour mark yet, but getting closer. Sorry, did I say four hours, I meant 4 minutes.

My first experience of meditation was being invited to an introductory Buddhist meditation. I had just returned from a week long rock climbing trip and arrived just as the class was starting. I found a small spot on a section of cushion that a mate of mine had saved for me. A quick glance around, as I tried to make myself comfortable, and I noted that I was one of the approximately 15 men in this group of almost a 100. I settled in, closed my eyes and started listening to the melodious deep voice of the monk up front in the orange robe. “Still your mind”, – yeah right. “Feel the calmness washing over your body and mind……” Hey no problem except I’m damn uncomfortable on this little square of flat cushion, my knees hurt, but more interestingly my nose has detected the sensuous smell of a perfume. This was the first time, in seven days, that I had been near the opposite sex, never mind being surrounded by beautiful women of all ages. “Now stay focused and still your mind…” My nose is doing the thinking now – a sultry, sexy fragrance, the perfect whiff of sandalwood, vanilla and musk, obviously designed to bring out the passion in any red blooded man. It’s surrounding me now, seeping into my pores, it’s engulfed me. Where was my calm mind supposed to be floating? Who cares. Who is the owner of this intoxicating scent? My nose had, well and truly, taken over my whole body. A bit later I open my eyes, looking dazed, confused and slightly spaced out. Not because I had spent the last hour with a calm mind floating on a lily pad in a pool of tranquil water. No, because I had spent the last hour fantasising on what I would do when I found the owner of that perfume!

It has since then got easier to calm my mind and yes, I do get more done in a day when I meditate. I realised that I am not a monk (or a guru living alone in a secret cave) and probably will never ever get to the perfectly still mind stage. Over the years I have tried various mediation techniques some with greater success than others. The most success I have had is with my recent discovery of the MAX Meditation System.

MAX Meditation was developed by Gudni Gudnason who has traveled the globe for more than 35 years exploring the phenomena of the mind and realising that not all minds are the same. Mine in particular. During his travels, he acquired knowledge of ancient meditation methods from teachers in India and Tibet. The Max Meditation System is a fusion (I like that word) of the ancient techniques with the modern science of psychology and Neuro-Linguistic Programming. This fusion of old and new (or east and west) creates a meditation that is easy for my western mind to grasp and not get bored with, while still giving me the benefits of living in a lonely cave, breathing stale air.

If you would like to quieten your mind or regulate your blood pressure or increase serotonin levels (which boosts your good moods) then do a Google search for Max Meditation System. There are classes happening all over the world. It has definitely made my life better, even if just for the hour long nap I seem to take. If you happen to be in Cape Town contact Craig at the Flame of Life Centre. They run weekly classes and your first one is free.

I never did find the owner of the perfume.

Until next time.

Smiles from a lily pad.

Ox