Beside Restful Waters

A new yogi ponders

By Greg Hermann

We know the goal of yoga is meditation. We know the result of meditation is bliss. Hmmm! I cannot report experiences of bliss in my practice. I can report episodes of frustration, numbness in my legs, and a deluge of thoughts that distract me. These reports are consistent with the warnings of the sages. However, I find no solace in knowing that my experiences are progressing as expected. Simply put, I want bliss and I want it now! I want patience and I want it now.

As you can probably surmise, my judgments of my meditation practice place a huge barrier toward the goal of meditation. Fortunately, I have been blessed by the examples of