I went to Ti-Øren yesterday in Amager Copenhagen. The place held a free festival called Copenhagen Yoga Festival. I had a lecture by Asger from Zen Mind, about Zen-meditation. An easy way of meditating for 20 min. every day. All you do is to sit in an comfortable position, open eyes focussing on a spot angled 45 degrees in front of you. Then you start counting when you exhale. One, on the first exhalation, and two on the next and so on. You count up to the number of ten. Then you start over. The idea is to focus your mind, be better at concentrating and see things in a clearer light. To empower your self to reach happiness. Zen means concentration Asger explained.
To know when the 20 minutes has gone, you set an alarm. Asger has even made a cd – with no sound. Only the sound of his bell – to say that 20 minutes has passed. Thats clever I think. But I did not buy the CD. I will use my phone – and start meditating from tomorrow. Asger told me to put the phone out of reach, as the ego of oneself will try to control a sneak peak… Therefore put the alarm behind you.
The idea of meditating is not because I am not happy. I actually had a true moment of pure happiness – when the mailman brought me my birthday present from my boyfriend. An Alessi chili mill designed by Ettore Sottsass! I have ben wanting that item for so many years, after seeing it at my favorite museum in New York; Withney Museum of American Art. The mill now has a very important place in my kitchen. Where I can see it – and feel happy whenever I need to. Even the color of the thing makes me smile.
