This is my personal story about meditation.
While creating memorial works for customers, I often listen to their struggles with pet loss. Over the past few years, I’ve felt that the number of people in truly difficult emotional states has been increasing.
That’s why I want more people to know that meditation can be one way to care for themselves during pet loss.
Today, I’d like to share my very first meditation experience.
Meeting Keiko Aikawa (Yogmataji)
Have you heard of Keiko Aikawa? In the world of yoga, she is widely known as Yogmataji.
These days, I sometimes see her on TV, she’s had many talks with celebrities, and even given speeches at the United Nations. She’s truly a remarkable person.
My first experience with meditation actually began with meeting her.
I went to see her in Matsue at the invitation of an acquaintance. She gently placed her hand on my head and said, “You’ll be okay.”
I still remember the sense of relief I felt in that moment.
Later, my acquaintance gave me one of her books as a gift. It came with a CD that guided me through meditation.
Meditation Was Difficult
I read the book, listened to the CD, and tried meditating.
At the time, I was dealing with many worries, so it was very difficult to practice sincerely. I thought meditation meant I had to completely empty my mind.
Now I know that isn’t necessarily the case. It’s okay to have thoughts—it’s more about how you handle them.
See more: Coping with Pet Loss Through Mindfulness: My Personal Experience
Still, back then I found meditation very hard.
Sometimes, though, it worked. After those moments, my mind felt incredibly clear.
Even when I was weighed down by anxiety from pet loss, my feelings shifted toward the positive. The sadness remained, but I felt calm. Instead of despairing about the future, I could coexist with my grief and uncertainty.
But it wasn’t always successful, and because it felt so difficult, I eventually stopped.
That was my very first encounter with meditation.
Meditation and Mindfulness Today
Back then I thought it was too hard. But now, in 2023, I’ve learned that even professional athletes use meditation. They practice it to deal with pressure and overcome anxiety.
Athletes often call it mindfulness. Unlike the idea of “emptying the mind,” mindfulness allows you to have thoughts and teaches you how to work with them.
I’ll talk more about mindfulness in another post.
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