Being a student of life, I find myself continuously open to exploring new ways of learning, both about myself, and the world around me. Last December I was at Marianne Williamson’s Tuesday night lecture in Los Angeles, and as usual the message was exactly what I needed to hear. During one of her interludes she announced a friend of hers, actor/author Jeff Kober, was presenting a free introduction to Vedic Meditation the following Sunday, and so I decided to go.
I arrived at a small boutique shop where there was a man in jeans and a t-shirt sitting in the speakers seat. He began with a story about going to India and sitting in meditation, where in the end what he walked away with was sore knees/ankles and frustration because he was still having trouble quieting his mind … clearly this man was talking my language.
My definition of meditating was plain and simple – it was something I could do while weeding or planting in the garden, while swimming laps, shoveling horse manure, taking a hike, or my most favorite time, the few moments just before falling asleep. All of these routines were where I found my alone time with my thoughts – a time for reflective inner conversations. A time where I could pray, reason things out and be quiet long enough to hear that inner voice – my higher power of consciousness.
Despite my belief in my own version of mediation, I couldn’t exactly call it quiet mind time, but rather a time when my thoughts were just more relaxed and slowed down. After hearing Kober speak I thought I might be able to finally learn the true art of meditation. Mind you, I still consider all of my previous forms of what I will call my walking meditations, quite relevant, but not the experience that brings with them the ability to really quiet the mind, be/sit still, and totally be present to what Kober calls a de-excitation state.
In a humble, yet very powerful little ceremony, Kober gave me my special Mantra – a sanskrit word that actually means nothing. The word translates into Hebrew 'bohuw' which means: emptiness, an undistinguishable ruin, a mindless state ... truly nothing. Kober describes this happy word (mantra), as a mind vehicle connecting us to all that is – a divine source, nature. Something that helps transport us to a state of de-excitation and quietness, present time. For more information on Jeff Kober’s course please visit www.jeffkobermeditation.com
1 comments:
I know this man also very well. He has been my meditation Guru for the past three years and your article;Although written very well and accurate! Just scratches the service on the wonders of Jeff Kober and his teachings.
Jai Guru Deva
Todd Raderman
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