When Siddhartha Gautama arose from days of meditation underneath the Bodhi tree as Buddha, "the enlightened one," he changed meditation from an isolated tradition among ancient societies to a modern, worldwide practice.
Meditation existed long before Buddha, but the popularity of his teachings spread the practice throughout Asia, where it expanded into the many forms known today. Though it remained confined almost exclusively within Asia until the 20th century, as technology made travel among continents easier, the practice spread to the Western world, including a Southern town in the northwest corner of Arkansas.
FAQ
Meditation Class
WHEN — 5:30-6:30 p.m. Monday
WHERE — Fayetteville Public Library, 401 W. Mountain St. in Fayetteville
COST — Free
INFO — faylib.org or 856-7000
In an effort to promote health and wellness, the Fayetteville Public Library is offering a 30-minute meditation component to its summer yoga class that takes place Mondays at 5:30 p.m., says Willow Fitzgibbon, manager of adult services for the library.
"Yoga developed to prepare people for meditation, so it was a natural progression," Fitzgibbon says. "The classes are fuller each week, so based on that, I know that people are finding it valuable."
On the third Monday of every month, retired engineer Jack Kayser, who has been practicing meditation for 40 years, leads participants in a guided meditation based on a form of sleep yoga called yoga nidra, in which participants focus on a problem or issue they wish to solve.
With a hand-written script, Kayser takes practitioners on a journey through the library and out into the world by walking them through their own thoughts, says Kalli Vimr, the summer yoga instructor.
"It will be an out-of-body experience for them," Kayser says. "Hopefully their imagination is open, and they're open to the influences of their subconscious mind. In the end, it brings relaxation, better sleep and fewer worries. You're not as obsessed about what your problems are."
Yoga and meditation portions of the class are suitable for both beginner and intermediate participants, but everyone must bring their own mats to the session, as well as warm clothing for the meditation portion, which will lower their body temperature, Vimr says.
"It can be a rewarding experience to try something new, especially something that's not about twisting up like a pretzel," she says.
-- Jaime Dunaway
NAN What's Up on 07/17/2015