Today was the third Meditation Class I taught at the Mansion. I always bring meditation beads for the new comers but several of the regulars forget that they have them, and I need to order some more.

I see the residents wearing them as necklaces, my class is a delight, they are very interested in learning how to meditate.

It looks like seven residents are going to be attending regularly, and each week  most of them want me to refresh them about what meditation is and how it works.

And today, I felt there was a breakthrough of sorts, an important moment.

The subject of our meditation class today was distraction,  how to keep from being distracted when we are trying to be calm and feel safe.

I could see the residents were eager to meditate on this, this was the subject they choose, I gave them a number of options. I am trying to encourage them to talk about aging, and how they feel about it. They very much want to do this, and meditation seems to center them and open them up.

I tell them that meditation is an ancient form of contemplation that can lead to a deeper spiritual awareness.

It is not just about taking a moment to ponder. It is a state of profound, deep peace that occurs when the mind is calm and silent, yet completely alert. It can be a transformation that leads to a higher state of awareness and peace of mind.

They closed their eyes, and sat silently during the ten minute meditation. I gave everyone my riff about what meditation was and what it can do. At the end of the meditation, I asked them if there was anything they wish to talk about.

I see the powerful impact meditation has had on them already, just as it has had on me for many years. I wasn’t sure what to expect.

M, one of the residents, said she was thinking all during her meditation about her daughter, who has asked her to come and live with her and leave the Mansion. It was upsetting, she said.

She was thinking about it all through her meditation, she thought it was a distraction, but then she said, she remembered that I said there was no right and wrong in meditation, you went where your mind took you, and if it was not a good place, go back and count your breaths.

“I thought it wasn’t a distraction, it was in my head. I don’t know what to do. I love my daughter and I’d love to live with my grandchildren, but I love the Mansion and have all my friends here…My mind was going a little crazy on this…”

I suggested we all be silent for a minute or two, I was careful not to tell  her what I thought or what I should do, it isn’t my place. I asked how these thoughts made her feel.

“It wasn’t peaceful,” she said, “I got upset thinking about it.”

I nodded. I said my mind sometimes goes to scary places. When it does, I count my breath for a while.

Another of the residents, J, jumped in. “”M,” she said. “But what if you fell down there while you were  babysitting? Who would pick you up and call for help like you did when  you fell down a few months ago? Who would help you if  you got sick and couldn’t walk right for few days, you’ve fallen more than once. Who would bring you food?”

M took a deep breath and looked at me. “What if I don’t feel  safe in a place,” she asked.

“Do you feel safe here?”, I asked. “Is that why you are here?”

She nodded. “I feel very safe here, they always take care of me when I am sick or fall  down.”

I said I thought feeling safe is important, especially as people get older. At the Mansion, safety is a big word, not an abstract wish.

J asked her again what would happen at her daughter’s house if she fell while she was baby-sitting?

“I think I need to stay here,” she said, looking lighter.

“How do you feel now?,” I asked. “I feel lighter,” she said. She did, too.

I think the Meditation Class is an important idea for the Mansion.