Om Ar Hung

I have started a Tibetan Buddhist Meditation class. There are probably as many schools of thought on meditation as there are people in the universe. I have done meditation before, but I never had the discipline to make it part of my daily routine. I don't know what makes me think that this class will be different.

So here I am, week 2 of TBM and we are focusing on our breathing and mind. Inhale through the nose Om, let the air flow through Ar, exhale through the nose Hung. After 5 minutes of this, I am in a very peaceful state. It is impossible to think of anything else when you are so completely concentrating on breathing and Om, Ar, Hung. In with the good air, out with the bad.

Next... everyone is to concentrate on an emotion. I pick happiness. If I want to concentrate on anger or sadness I can call a family member. This is my "Happy Place". The women next to me just buried her husband yesterday, and of course, focuses on sadness. By minute 2 she begins crying and her sniffling is disrupting my "Happy Place". After the 5 minutes we have a question/answer period. The big cry baby begins to tell the story of losing her husband and my "Happy Place" is beginning to build a resentment wall. Now don't get me wrong. I am very sympathetic to losing a loved one, but don't they have a grief management group for that? I am here to find relaxation, sort of a respite from the real world. If I want to hear sad stories I can stay at work for an extra hour, or go back to AA meetings. Anyway 3 more weeks for "Enlightenment".