This weekend I’m going to try something that scares the bejeebers out of me. No I’m not jumping off a bridge attached to a spring cord. I’m not going to play with large snake or try to tame a grizzly. It’s much scarier than that – I’m going to try to slow my brain down and learn how to meditate at Bloom. I’ve tried to mediate in the past – usually at the end of yoga class. My inner monologue usually goes something like this:
‘Okay Miranda, calm down, don’t think about anything. Just think of peace. Like beaches and baby orcas and those silver peace earrings you had in grade 10. Oh, I’m hungry. What did I take out for dinner? Shoot, I need to stop at the grocery store. Oh yeah, and I have to call the daycare. Focus, focus. What am I going to wear to that thing next week? Uh oh, I have an article due on the 15th and my main interview subject hasn’t called back. Back to the beach, come on brain. Ugh’.
Most of my handful of meditation attempts have gone this way. So I’m going big: I’m signed up to attend Bloom, a yoga, music and meditation festival taking place in Edmonton this weekend. I’m going to learn how to mediate.
A friend who is a much more dedicated yogi and meditator than I is attending and will likely be my accountability-buddy for the duration of the workshop-filled two days. I’m thrilled/scared/excited. I’ve always wanted to learn how to meditate. I get up every morning at 4:45/5:00 out of necessity so I can have some writing/yoga/stretching/coffee/quite time before my boys get up. I’m hoping the guided meditation techniques I learn at Bloom will enhance my early bird routine in my quest to learn how to meditate.
A famous clergyman once said, “The first hour of the morning is the rudder of the day.” I can’t agree with this more. I’m so stoked to be learning from some of the best: Jai Uttal, Rameen Peyrow and Linda Crawford. There will be other yogis and speakers there too: strengths trainer Tracy Hutton, Marianne Williamson and Jackie Dumaine. In a life of juggling (work, freelance, family, travel) and not much stillness, I’m pretty sure Bloom is exactly what my soul ordered.
Bloom will take place at the Winspear Centre on October 3 & 4th in Edmonton, Alberta. For more info on Bloom’s goodness-filled weekend of meditation, yoga and music go to: http://itstimetobloom.com
Are you going to Bloom? Do you know how to medicate? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
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