The medicine of meditation
In The Art of Doing Nothing, Veronique Vienne notes the word meditate has the same root as the word medicine. All you have to do is look at Buddha to know that he is indeed a happy man. I mean, it takes effort to smile that much.
Clearing our minds of the traffic jam of daily life is no simple feat. In fact, few people can maintain a calm composure for more than a couple of minutes. The moment I think I’m getting there, I suddenly remember the grocery items I have to pick up on the way home… or a report I have to write… or what I’m going to have for dinner.
Veronique Vienne writes that, paradoxically, it is when we accept that we can’t meditate that the meditation starts to work. Instead of being a success-oriented venture, the practice becomes a humble reminder of how difficult it is for any of us to stay in touch with ordinary reality.
My strategy over this next month is to do a small drawing meditation each day. Many of you have joined in our artistic sessions at Maker’s where we’ve learned to do just that. The focus isn’t on creating good art. It’s simply on creating.
How wonderful would it be for us to draw or write together. Our September Identity and Transition program uses meaningful discussion and creative practices to create opportunities for exploring who you are beyond your uniform. If you haven’t yet signed up it’s not too late. Just give us a call or drop Julie a line.
Warm regards,
Belinda Seagram, Ph.D., R. Psych.Executive Director, Landing Strong
