Can We Pick Up the Pace?

As a current student I have a Physical Education requirement to fulfill for graduation. Today’s gift is that my options include Tai Chi, Yoga, Pilates, and Walking Fido. I decided on Tai Chi this semester, to flesh out my daily meditation practice and bring some peace to my busy day. The class opens with a ten minute relaxation meditation. I chose well. I have gotten to the point where I crave meditation. Last week, a student asked if we could speed up the routine which is meant to be done deliberately, slowly and mindfully. I had to chuckle to myself, because I remember being right where this student was in my early practice, and many times today. It took me months to detox from a busy three job life and get to the point where I could sit with myself in silence. For me, being present was boring (it still can be.) Being present with myself in silence is being in communion with God. Being present with God brings peace. And sometimes peace is just not all that comfortable. In this technological age we are bombarded with advertising, video games, and cell phones. My teenage son reads a book while watching TV and surfing the internet. So I found humor in this young woman's request, and then remembered how I close my heart every time a student walks into the room late and disrupts "my" meditation time. Hopefully someday I will be able to laugh with a student who requests the doors be padlocked shut once class begins.