We do not teach meditation as a spiritual practice and there are no spiritual teachings as part of our pain group sessions. However, meditation and spiritual practice have long been intertwined in many belief systems. It may be useful to look at some of the things said about meditation from a different perspective than ours.

Here is a quotation that was posted on the Nine Dragon Baguazhang Facebook page. It offers a way of looking at meditation in a non-denominational but nevertheless spiritual way.

“The word meditation comes from the Latin ‘meditare’, which is the passive form of the verb, meaning ‘being moved to the center.’ It is not the active form, which is ‘moving to the center’. We are being moved to the center. This center is our own essence. Sitting after sitting, letting everything go, we become more aware of our own personal center. We become more rooted in it. This simple act of sitting absolutely still, letting everything drop off, has far-reaching effects.

“Sitting still is not what some of us may have imagined spiritual practice to be. We may think that it involves something more impressive. But those of us who do it, those of us who are present at this moment, know that this is it. Sitting absolutely still, body and mind are not separate. Our state of mind at any given moment becomes clearer in this condition of being present, completely present. And there is great healing power in this.”

 – Maurine Stuart Roshi