07-11-2013, 12:00 AM
I was sitting cross legged in a circle of Shintaido participants, a very cool bunch of people. I bumped in to the shintaido gang several years ago being fascinated by people doing strange exercises in a field in the dark. Shintaido means traditionally A New Body Way and in the class we work on progressively stretching the muscles and then attempt to soften and open as it is described. At the end of the perhaps two hour session we arrive in a circle undoubtedly all feeling great and together having put all the effort of the session in. A conversation was flowing in the circle and I wondered if we were meant to be meditating or if we were going to do some more exercises then I suddenly became aware of how quiet and peaceful my surroundings were, I sensed the trees was able to sit in this perception for a long time.
I walked home with the instructor of the class, he wanted to show me his Guitar amplifiers and was going to help me with my electric guitar. As we were talking about Shintaido homeward bound I realized what happened in the circle. I had said something like '' I am not really a person, I latch on to other people and be them for a while '' the instructor of the class said that that is how he learned from his instructors many years ago, by watching them and just doing what they do, feeling what they feel and absorbing everything'' He then told me that he had practiced meditating for over thirty years. He said that he had battled with the fact that thoughts would never seem to cease and also the pain in his body from sitting still for long periods of time. After allot of practice he said how eventually what had been revealed to him was his subconscious then looked rather disconcerted. I am sure that what I sensed in my moment of peace in the circle was 30 years of meditation.
I walked home with the instructor of the class, he wanted to show me his Guitar amplifiers and was going to help me with my electric guitar. As we were talking about Shintaido homeward bound I realized what happened in the circle. I had said something like '' I am not really a person, I latch on to other people and be them for a while '' the instructor of the class said that that is how he learned from his instructors many years ago, by watching them and just doing what they do, feeling what they feel and absorbing everything'' He then told me that he had practiced meditating for over thirty years. He said that he had battled with the fact that thoughts would never seem to cease and also the pain in his body from sitting still for long periods of time. After allot of practice he said how eventually what had been revealed to him was his subconscious then looked rather disconcerted. I am sure that what I sensed in my moment of peace in the circle was 30 years of meditation.