It has been an interesting journey in learning from various leaders through their books and teachings. -including “The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari” by world-renowned author and speaker Robin Sharma.
That all changed on April 17th, 2012 when I got listen to Ajahn Kusalo on an evening that I will never forget.
A few weeks ago I was given a CD at my(41 years young) birthday party by a very good friend who admires my energy but was concerned about me having some “slow down” time as she coined it.
After listening to half way through the audio and reported back to my friend that “it felt as if I was walking through the forest with a bow and arrow on my shoulder with no idea why”
She sounded confused “Were you chasing something or was something chasing you?”I didn’t because I didn't really know.
My friend invited me to participate in a meditation evening. She is a very spiritual individual and felt this might be of interest to me.
Initially I was non-committal to her offer and decided to wait and ponder it a little further. The day before the event she sent me an email with the location along with some special instructions which included to bringing a water bottle and to wearing comfortable clothing.
Tuesday morning I went through my own routine of reading morning passages from a book that I keep nearby and did my morning affirmations.
That afternoon I listened to the last half of the CD (to my pleasant surprise) by then I was in the forest with no bow and arrow just walking through. Listening to the songs I could see a big tree across the street and remembered vividly 25 years ago when it was first planted in the soil, it has now grown into a huge tree, solid from stump to the end branches. Just like me!
After that took a brief nap to relax let the music sink in, and woke up and feeling re-energized.
By late afternoon I had decided that I was ready to go to the meditation and I informed my friend via email. She was pleased and looked forward to it.
As I neared the location was pleasantly surprised when I realized that I pass by this location all the time going to a health club near by. Locked up my mountain bike and followed the signs to where it said “Everyone is welcome”.
My friend was going to arrive little later so I made my way in and found a chair off to the side. The room was very quiet as people began to arrive.
Even though I had my business cards with me I made no attempt to interact with anyone, respectful of the environment and the event.Ajahn Kusalo walked into the room and was greeted by a gentleman who was assisting with the room and event proceedings.
At the entrance there was option to make a donation to the monastery, so I grabbed an envelope and made a mental note to put one the box on my way out.
We were given two handouts. The first was a dedication of offering which was a chant that was made during the session; the second was a sheet of explanation called Tisarana- an overview of intent and direction
Ajahn Kusalo began with conversation and I was pleasantly surprised that he was very amusing and made a strong effort to connect with everyone. He used many sports analogies to explain life and how we each go through our journey.
He spoke how we deal with things that we face in our daily lives and how we can learn to respond better and better understand that life is not as complicated as we make it.
We all have weaknesses. but at the end of the day we must work on our strengths and evolve to improve our weaknesses.
The room was silent as everyone listened except for the occasional group laugh. It was a healthy spirit of individuals from all walks of life young and old, gathered together for a few hours together time to relax and take time to breach and relax from our busy lives.
We chanted for about half an hour and then Ajahn Kusalo fielded questions for the attendees.
It was a very therapeutic experience and I appreciated my friend inviting me to this event.
Moral of the story: meditation is a great way to relax and release yourself from the busyness of life.
If you wish to attend a future session information is below
For more information:
Address: 60 Lowther Avenue, (close to St George subway station)
Bring: Water bottle & wear comfortable clothing
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