I FELT surprisingly nervous about my first ever meditation class. It was an hour long and I didn’t know what to expect – would we sit in silence the entire time? Would I be consumed by fidgeting or worse, fall asleep and slip off my chair?

Would everyone be looking serene while to-do lists buzzed round my head?

As it turned out, I had nothing to worry about. The session was led by nun Kelsang Chenma, pictured below. Today’s topic was the importance of cherishing all living beings. She talked a lot of sense – for example, how we can try to get away from people we think we can’t get along with only to find ourselves with different people we don’t get on with either.

She spoke about how we might want to go and live in a forest to escape people but that it is only by developing our patience by being challenged that we ourselves can grow.

The class had two meditation sessions, which we were guided through, focusing on our breathing and so on, and invited to think about the ideas of the session.

I did find myself almost dropping off and fidgeting around a bit but my mind didn’t fill up with nonsense which is what I think would happen if I tried this on my own.

It was relaxing, refreshing and enlightening – I got far more out of the hour than I expected – so much so that I have recruited a stressed out friend to go back with me next week.

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