Meditation procrastination

I recently had the chance to talk to some people about their spirituality, and I found it to be, pardon the pun, pretty enlightening.

I've been interested in Eastern religions, Buddhism in particular, for some time now. Although I, like the people in my radio story, wouldn't call myself a Buddhist, I do believe that the philosophy has a lot to offer. I say philosophy, rather than religion, because I feel that is a more apt term for the teachings and traditions of the Buddhist culture.

I had been meaning to go check out the Regina Insight Meditation Community's meetings before this particular assignment came up, but a busy work schedule forced me to keep putting it off. So when we decided that our radio show would be centered on groups outside of the mainstream, I jumped at the rare opportunity to mix work with something I was genuinely interested in.

When I arrived at Chris' house for the meeting, I was a little unsure of what to expect. A sign on the door said "Don't bother knocking, come inside and take your shoe's off", instructions I promptly followed. Once inside, I was greeted with a variety of vaguely eastern pictures and ornaments. I could see, through a closed door in the adjacent room, that the meeting had already started. Not wanting to interrupt, I didn't see any other choice but to stand dumbfounded in the hallway reading the various pamphlets spread out on a table in the hallway.

Thankfully, a friendly woman saw I was standing there and came around to greet me. She welcomed me to take her seat in the back and be a part of the group. For the next forty-five minutes, I listened to meditation-leader Dohna Angelie's soothing voice guide the group through the meditation.

While I'll admit I was initially filled with trepidation at the thought of sitting still for forty-five minutes, the time really did seem to fly by. I won't make any grand proclamations that my life was changed by the experience or that I had an out-of-body experience, but I will say that sitting still and trying to think about nothing for three quarters of an hour is actually a lot more soothing than it sounds.

After the meditation period and a small group discussion, I met with Dahna and she introduced me to Chris Gilboy and Donna Burks, who were both kind enough to grant me the interviews I used in my story. Chris hosts the meetings, and Donna is a regular attendee who occasionally manages the community's small library of spiritual material.

While I'm not sure if I'm going to make meditation a regular practice in my life, I do feel that I learned a lot from Chris, Donna, and the entire community. As they wished me luck on my journey, so do I wish them luck on theirs.


- Noel Busse