—Beginning Meditation – How Others Began, Part Two—
>>> Part One: Beginning Meditation, Starting Out – Read Testimonials on How
Starting Meditation – “Following the Breath, In and Out”
"I was first introduced to meditation when I took some Hatha Yoga classes in 1989. It was basic learning about following the breath in and out, lying on my back relaxing at the end of class. I was also introduced to the concept that aspects of self-care can become ironic: rushing to get to yoga class to relax after work and getting stressed out in the process."
From a meditation interview with John Nordell
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>>> Go to Part One of this Interview.
Starting Meditation – “It Felt like Something I Needed”
"I had been interested in Buddhism for a long time, but basically got into it because my partner (who had been diagnosed with a terminal illness) got involved, wanting to know more about death and dying. Zen is all about meditation, and so that’s what the first workshop was about. The question was asked at that first workshop, so are there books we should read about this? The workshop leader said there are lots of books, but the most important thing is to practice. Sit every day for a month and then talk to a teacher. I was impressed by that answer, and in fact did just that. Sat every morning for 10 minutes, whether I felt like it or not. After a month I could tell that something was different. Didn’t know what it was, but it felt like something I needed. "
From a Meditation Interview with Genko Rainwater
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Starting Meditation – “This Calling would not Leave me Alone”
"It was almost 20 years ago, so the details are a little fuzzy, but as I recall, this calling would not leave me alone. I wasn’t terribly interested in consciousness or metaphysics at that time, nor healing nor shamanism. In fact, I was working at becoming an author in the science fiction genre. The whole idea of healing just began popping up in my life."“
From a Meditation Interview with Michelle Wood
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>>> Go to Part One of this Interview.
Starting Meditation – “To Bring More Peace and Balance”
"In the beginning, what attracted me to meditation was the sense of peacefulness that seemed to be associated with it. At the time I had quit my high-paying, highly stressful job in order to bring more peace and balance into my life, qualities that I was sorely lacking in those days. I quickly found that meditative practice was indeed peaceful, but after a time I began to notice that a sense of awareness was steadily growing along with that peacefulness. The awareness grew to the point where I instinctively sought out a Buddhist teacher, and upon finding that teacher my Buddhist “career” began"
From an Interview with Shih Ying-Fa
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>>> Go to Part One of this Interview.
>>> Part Three: How to Start Meditating – How Others Began to Meditate
Meditation Interviews
The interviews conducted for this site are done by email. Interviews with both practitioners and teachers have the benefit of offering personal insights meditation practice. Unlike dictionary-style descriptions of meditation, these testimonials reveal details that can only come from the direct experience shared by those who meditate. If you meditate, please consider sharing your story by participating in a meditation interview.