Plant your own garden and decorate your own soul, instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers.
- Veronica A. Shoffstall
About a week ago I noticed one of my heirloom cactus plants was starting to bloom for the very first time. It made me smile as I remembered the student who gave it to me. I thought about how this little seed was cultivated, nurtured, and loved – and how in just one year it blossomed into a beautiful plant.
I showed it to Catharine and snapped a quick picture so I could text it to the student later on. When I went to upload the photo, serendipitously I found this incredibly thoughtful note from that very same student in my email.
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Hi Andy,
It was one year ago today that I was traveling to your home to start my second day of the Primordial Sound Meditation course with you. I am still meditating every day and I always offer a thought of thanks to you for giving me such a wonderful start in my daily practice of sitting.
The experience is different every day. My meditation changes in ways that I can’t explain but I am sure that you know what I mean. The benefits of a daily practice are evident in subtle ways and in others that I can describe as just ‘being’ which I didn’t know about before.
I am more calm, I know that my thoughts aren’t me, that I am the thinker of the thoughts. I thought upset feelings could harm me or kill me and I know that is not true. I have been able to assist many others as a result of realizing what has been accessible all along.
As I may have said to you before, you have a gift for being present with another person. You are totally engaged, yet you do not have them follow you but what you are teaching. This allows your students to sail off in a well equipped boat to places that are perfect for them.
Ben is still meditating too. He sends his best…
I see that you are very busy and today are in Hanover. I know that the people there are in for a treat!
Thank you Andy for you…
Ginny
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So thoughtful! I love getting these Year One notes! As much as I (or my ego rather) would love to take credit for Ginny’s Year One or Ben’s Year Two sitting success… the real shift came from their willingness and discipline to sit everyday and accept whatever was happening in that moment – even on those days they didn’t feel like meditating. Without that discipline, especially in the first few months, it’s hard for any type of practice to take root.
Peace IN.
-Andy