Sat, Feb 24 2007 - Intro to Meditation (View Original Event Details)
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The interest in this event was incredible! Thirty of us showed up at the North York Community Centre to learn about a Zen form of meditation. First, it is important to note that this event would not have been possible without the hard work and preparation of TOC member Wei-Lin and other members of her Zen group. They arranged for a room at the North York Community Centre, brought pillows and towels, and served us tea and cookies after the meditation training. Most importantly, Wei-Lin solicited certified meditation instructor Janusz Kuras to show us different aspects of this form of meditation and how to prepare for it.
Most participants in this event had little to no previous experience with meditation, and for some strange reason, the facilities decided they had to test their alarm system all morning long, but we were all eager to learn, and enjoyed experimenting with the various exercises and sitting positions. It is quite a challenge when one first begins to meditate to ignore the frantic workings of your mind, but we were encouraged to just focus on counting our breaths and on enjoying the current moment of relaxation.
After the meditation and tea/cookies, the group was very excited and many wanted to learn more. Wei-Lin had some materials to give away, but not enough for such a big crowd (I had warned her that there would be quite a few last-minute drop-outs, but for every drop-out there was a new sign-up!) So if you still haven’t contacted Wei-Lin for more information, please e-mail me, and I will pass it on to Wei-Lin.
Also, Wei-Lin is interested to hear your feedback. What are the key things did you learn/pick up from the class? How do they benefit you or help you in various aspects in life? Would you recommend this class to others? And why? Again, feel free to e-mail me with your responses and I will forward them on to her.
Based on the amazing response to this event, we will likely offer a similar event in the fall – but hopefully without the alarms going off every 5 seconds! :>
Have some photos from this event that you'd like to share in our photo album? Please forward them to Erik Sonstenes at photos@torontooutdoorclub.com. Please note that we prefer to receive the photos in approximately 640x480 or 750x500 pixels - do NOT send original high-res photos. If you have a LOT of photos, please submit up to twenty of your favorites (only) for a day event, or up to forty of your favourites for a multi-day event. Thank you.